Freedom of Masks
by Rainbowkittyblossomwings
Summary: Red bloods like Natsumi can control silver bloods with just a command of their voice. After Natsumi finds out her soul mate is in fact a silver blood she decides to start a revolution and throw aside the mask society has given her. However a genius red blood proves to be her biggest challenge starting an opposing revolution that's only goal is to knock her down. Soul mark AU.
1. Wedding of Fire

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

 **K. So this is a new AU I'm working on. It'll only be six chapters. Um...Sorry I'm not writing anything in universe currently I have plenty of plans and all the work mostly done on in universe stuff, I just need a little direction if that makes sense.**

 **Basically since I have so many things that I've got mostly planned out I kind of need someone saying, 'you should do this story next' just kind of prodding me in the direction I need to go since I can't choose between all the things I want to write because I like all of them kind of. They're all equal levels of motivation to me at the moment.**

 **Anyway, I'm writing this one currently because my sister scissors was like "write this masks au" and I was like, "Okay."**

 **I apologize ahead of time for this first chapter. I just started a new medication last night and I don't know why but my mind feels foggy if that makes any sense? I'm confused why it's doing that. It just...doesn't feel right. My words feel all jumbled.**

 **Other author's notes about this story: This story was inspired by otpprompts on tumblr, the prompt is as follows:**

 _ **"Your OTP lives in a universe where everyone is required to wear garish masquerade masks at all times since they are a society that values privacy not beauty. Person A is the rule-abiding and shy one while Person B is the rowdy rule breaker. When they eventually meet, Person B wants to know more about Person A– which escalates into Person B unmasking Person A while they are alone with each other. What happens next?"**_

 **This of course isn't exactly what is going to happen in this fic. The AU was just inspired by that prompt. I was like "A society where everybody wears masks. Okay."**

 **Other things that inspired this AU include: Soul mate AU's. I've been meaning to write one of those things. It's a wonderful cat life, the vocaloid song.**

 **Official** **Setting: In a world where the higher class society, the red bloods wear masks at all points in their lives to keep the tradition of privacy, and to keep themselves as different from the silver bloods, who they can control with mind control, one human decides to start a revolution and overthrow the enslavement that has been forced on so many people and forge a new path, after meeting her soul mate who happens to be part of the lower class and a silver blood.**

 **Will Natsumi be able to change how society is run? Will she be able to free the silver bloods who are treated as pets? Or will another revolution start to oppose her's, and the dastardly Kululu will take away all the freedom that she wants for the people?**

 **Masks AU.**

* * *

The feathers were the deepest shade of crimson on Natsumi's mask. However she only ever saw them when she looked in the mirror.

 _Isn't it odd that my mask is the same color as my blood?_ Natsumi looked in the mirror at the mask that had been modified to fit her face her entire life. Only her mother had seen her bare face as was the tradition in their culture. As someone with red blood, the race that had the highest status in society, her duty was to protect her privacy by wearing a constant mask on her face. It was improper to show her bare face to anyone besides her husband once on their wedding night.

Although Natsumi didn't exactly hate her mask, it covered her entire face and was designed after a red bird, having a sort of snout to it, she wasn't supposed to feel the snout instead believing it to be part of her face. However she felt like the whole thing was spectacularly unnecessary.

She would have much preferred to be a bare face like the silver bloods. The other race in her society.

The silver bloods were much different than the red bloods like her, instead of deep rich red blood flowing through their veins they had a metallic silver color, their reflexes were better and faster than the red bloods due to the second pair of ears that each silver blood had, a sort of animal ears. They were a physically stronger race, a faster and more agile one.

However they were not the ruling class. The silver bloods had one major flaw that the red bloods didn't have. Because of their biology any order that the red blood's gave them, the silver bloods would be forced to follow. It was like it had been programmed into their blood to follow any command that the red bloods gave them, like mind control. No matter what they could do they were forced to follow the red bloods orders, so naturally they had become sort of slaves of the red bloods, or 'pets' in the best case scenario because of their animal ears.

Despite the silver bloods sad lifestyle Natsumi still sort of envied them in a way. _They don't have the hassle of these masks. They're able to eat like they want instead of trying to avoid bumping into their material. They can probably sleep on their faces._ Natsumi knew she shouldn't really envy the silver bloods. Wearing a mask wasn't nearly as bad as being a slave. But Natsumi was still a bit selfish, almost spoiled in a way. _What I want more than anything is the freedom to be able to be myself._ Although her real self was more sympathizing to the silver blood's plight.

She knew that the silver bloods didn't actually get to see their bare face. All of them had tattoos all over their body, not just their face, branding them as property. Some of them had a certain symbol designated to them, most of them had a pattern and certain number of tattoos that they had on their body that would be counted and tallied constantly, in the case that they had a new tattoo that had not been designated they would be killed.

Natsumi truly pitied them.

 _They have no freedom whatsoever. I shouldn't envy them just because they don't have to wear a dumb mask._ Natsumi reminded herself, looking in the mirror again. Wearing a mask was a tradition. She shouldn't be ashamed.

Just because she had never seen her brother, mother's, or father's real face shouldn't bother her. Her mask should be a part of her skin. Something that she loved.

 _I should stop hating the way things are. Someday I'll be in charge of this society. After all I may in fact be the highest person of status in the red blood class._ She should be proud. She was part of the monarchy after all. She was the eldest daughter of the king and queen of their society. Her mother kept things orderly and her father brought kindness to the red bloods.

And someday when Aki and Haru passed away, it would be Natsumi's job to take care of society. To keep the laws in order and make sure nobody broke traditions.

Natsumi gripped the dressing table in front of her and started tying rich red ribbons to her pigtails, calming down. She shouldn't be selfish thinking about the things she didn't want to do. Like wear a mask. She was a red blood. She wasn't as imprisoned as a silver blood, forced to do anything someone else told her.

 _Today's supposed to be a happy day. Don't bring justice into it, Natsumi._ Natsumi tried to remind herself.

The only other person in Natsumi's world who could threaten her parent's claim to rule was marrying Fuyuki today. The Nishizawa line might not have had the political power that the Hinata's had, but they were far richer. They ruled the economy with an iron fist.

Although in Natsumi's youth she had heard there might be problems between the two families, the issue was quickly remedied by trying to align them and swiftly creating an arranged marriage between the only daughter of the Nishizawa line, Momoka, and Natsumi's younger brother Fuyuki.

Fuyuki and Momoka had of course hit it off spectacularly and now fifteen years later they were finally getting married. And Natsumi couldn't be more excited and proud.

 _It's my brother's wedding._ She reminded herself. _It's a happy occasion._ She was happy that Fuyuki had found love. She was pleased that he was finally tying the knot. She was also excited to attend a party.

Still, Natsumi couldn't keep her mind off the annoyance of her mask. How even after twenty two years of life, it didn't feel right to look in the mirror and see this unnatural thing attached to her face.

She glanced around in the dressing room, looking to see if it seemed like anyone was approaching. They were not. The doors were locked.

Swallowing her nervousness, Natsumi careful removed her mask, just so she could look at herself in the mirror.

 _I shouldn't do this. It's forbidden. But...I want to see my face._ Closing her eyes, she felt the cool air touch her face and she delicately placed her mask on the table. She opened her eyes to see something that looked completely natural – her brown eyes and bare face just sort of smiling at herself.

 _I look so...Natural._ Something was calming about being able to see someone's facial expressions. Even if it was her own facial expressions. It was like she could see the real Natsumi, the honest one.

The door knob turned of Natsumi's dressing room despite the fact that Natsumi was sure the doors were locked. Before Natsumi could quickly place her mask back on her face where it belonged, Koyuki came in.

"ACK!" Koyuki covered her face, shielding her eyes from Natsumi. "Natsumi! Why aren't you decent?"

 _Should have known that Koyuki could pick the locks._ Natsumi sighed. Her best friend in the world, Koyuki, might have been raised to follow the traditions of the noble class and other red bloods, but she was a little weird. For one thing she wasn't used to the boundaries of locks and was more used to breaking and entering.

"Sorry, Koyuki." Natsumi apologized, glancing at Koyuki who was shielding her eyes. Natsumi didn't even know what her friend's eyes looked like because of the porcelain mask that always covered Koyuki's face. It looked a bit like a cat's face, with fake ears and deep red streaks on the cheeks like whiskers. "But it's okay..." Natsumi hustled to put her mask back on, in a few seconds it was back on her face, imprisoning her skin.

"Natsumi! I shouldn't have to be the one to lecture you on traditions. You're the one usually lecturing me!" Koyuki giggled, "But you should know that the only one who's supposed to see your bare face is your lover. Unless..." Koyuki glanced around, "Is someone hiding in here? Were you with someone?" She started sniffing as if she could smell out the foreign person.

Natsumi shook her head. "Nobody was here. And I'm pretty sure you're not actually supposed to show your face to just a lover." Natsumi did her job and corrected Koyuki's misconceptions. "Unless that lover is someone you're going to spend the rest of your life with." Natsumi shrugged. "But don't lovers usually break up or something? I mean..." Natsumi giggled for a second, "Unless they're your soul mate. But most people date at least a few people in their lifetime!"

Koyuki was quiet. Natsumi briefly wondered how many lovers her friend had had that she had showed her face to and never been corrected on.

"So..." Koyuki coughed for a moment. Not a real cough, a fake one as if to change the subject. "Were...You coming onto me? You know, with having no mask!"

"No!" Natsumi corrected her friend quickly. "I...I just...I don't see the need of needing such privacy. With the masks and all." Natsumi shrugged, "I don't mind if people were to see my honest expressions. My bare face, you know. Maybe that's the reason we trust the silver bloods so much to not have an uprising or something. Because we can see what they're actually thinking because they don't have to wear these dumb masks." Natsumi's words were quick as if she was finally thinking about it. About the fact that the silver bloods had never revolted before.

"We don't trust the silver bloods to not have an uprising." Koyuki corrected, "After all, whenever one of them shows dangerous behavior they're disposed of. You should know that."

Natsumi frowned. Maybe the silver bloods didn't have as happy a life as she thought just because they didn't need to wear masks.

Natsumi sat back down in her chair, lounging. "It's just...I hate this dumb tradition, Koyuki! I don't like wearing a mask." Natsumi admitted, "It's annoying!"

Koyuki approached her friend and pat her head. Natsumi was glad she didn't wear a hat. At least people could see her obnoxiously pink hair. "Natsumi...That's a dangerous way of thinking. The traditions and ways of the past are the most sacred things in the world." Koyuki leaned over to Natsumi's ear, "You should know that it's not just the silver bloods that are bound to follow them. After all, red bloods who disrupt the peace are killed too...If they do something illegal they're gone. Forever."

Natsumi frowned, shivering for a moment. That was Koyuki's job after all. She was part of the assassin division of their society. Koyuki didn't kill silver bloods, she killed red bloods who might have tried to cause disruption in society, trying to put someone else in power besides Natsumi's family or being too friendly with silver bloods. Although Koyuki and Natsumi had always been friends because it was mostly Koyuki's job to protect her, Koyuki did have a more rigid description of the rules.

 _I don't like the traditions though._ Natsumi realized rubbed her arm. She knew Koyuki would give her some slack for being so out of line. After all Natsumi was pretty much a princess. She could afford to be out of line, that and she had been dealing with the aftermath of a bad break up, for the last...five years actually. It had been a while. _I wish red bloods didn't have to wear these dumb masks. Maybe we should start a new tradition._

Koyuki looked in the mirror at Natsumi. "Here. Let me help you put on your bridesmaid gown. You aren't ready for Fuyuki's wedding yet."

She didn't comment on the fact that she had seen Natsumi's bare face any more. It was as if she felt that forgetting it would make Natsumi forget her rebellion too.

* * *

Although Natsumi had always secretly hated wearing masks and envied the silver bloods for not having to wear any, she did not envy their status whatsoever. They were primarily slaves, forced to do anything a red blood asked.

However she hadn't thought deeply about how terrible their condition was until she had broken up with her fiance. She had been smitten with him for years and had kept herself in line and docile until she had dumped him. Only after five years was she finally breaking her mold and thinking for herself. Letting herself be the angry woman that she naturally was, punching people in the face who caused her trouble and that sort of thing.

Even back then though, with her ex, she had tried to push the guilt out of her mind at what they were doing to the silver bloods. However as the days went on, Natsumi thought about it more and more. How things felt wrong. Not just on her face, but everywhere else too.

"Good morning, Lady Natsumi!" Keroro greeted as Natsumi walked out of her dressing room. Keroro was the silver blood that Natsumi had the most contact with throughout her life, although he had looked after her and her brother as sort of an older brother figure or babysitter in her youth, he had no position of power over either of them.

He was Fuyuki's pet. But Keroro had never looked unhappy with that role. Instead he looked content, docile. A poster child for all silver blood's who were unhappy about their positions. If they too worked hard they could be treated luxuriously like a pet.

Keroro grinned at Natsumi and waved.

 _It's nice to see his eyes. His smile._ Natsumi thought to herself. Keroro's expressions always looked so honest. Maybe that was the reason why they constantly fought like children, because Keroro was too honest and Natsumi had to always put up a front. Despite how they didn't get along, Natsumi secretly thought of Keroro as a somewhat friend.

He had tattoos all over his body just like any silver blood. Stars in fact. Keroro had never commented on them hurting him, or being disappointed by his stars. Usually he liked to brag about them, talking about how he was a 'star' instead. It had annoyed Natsumi when she was younger, she would usually order him to do a meaningless chore when he bragged or beg for forgiveness, something that she now deeply regretted.

His clothes were fancier than most silver bloods, probably because he was owned by Fuyuki. They were green like cash and brightly colored like spring. Fuyuki tried to take care of Keroro best he could, giving him gifts and treating him with luxury. It was probably why Keroro's most precious possession was the collar around his neck with a golden bell, symbolizing that somebody owned him.

Just like all silver bloods, Keroro looked mostly like Natsumi. Human with hair. Maybe a little bit taller than her, but the only thing naturally out of order were the large black rabbit ears on his head that helped his reflexes.

"Hi." Natsumi greeted. She stopped herself from calling him 'stupid frog' her designated nickname for him. Keroro might have been childish and annoying but he didn't deserve to be dehumanized or insulted.

 _Why did I treat him so badly?_ Natsumi wondered. The silver bloods really did have nothing for her to envy. Keroro was a human pet, yet she just like every other red blood had treated him like he was some sort of animal.

"You know after Master Fuyuki marries Master Momoka I'll be moving into their house." Keroro admitted, talking in a hushed voice like he was carrying a secret. "I know...I know we've known each other our entire life, but..."

"You don't want to see me anymore?" Natsumi asked. Was Keroro asking her a favor or something? Usually he only asked her for toys or to have the day off.

"Please don't order me to stay with you." Keroro finally squeaked out. "I know, we're friends in a way. At least Fuyuki says I'm his friend." Keroro smiled brightly.

Despite how the red bloods treated the silver bloods, Keroro still thought Fuyuki was the best in the universe. He was his best friend and he cherished him.

"But I need to go with Fuyuki." Keroro continued, "I'm his. So please don't bypass my wishes by ordering me. I know you'll be lonely without me and Fuyuki, but...don't."

Natsumi felt a bit shocked. _He thinks I'll order him to stay with me?_ Had she given him that awful of an image of her?

 _I suppose I did. We have been childishly fighting all my life. Which would have been normal if I wasn't born with a position of power over him._ Squabbling was normal, but when one of the people in the squabble had a sort of power to mind control the other person, things weren't fair at all.

Natsumi gave a small nod. "I won't. You can stay with Fuyuki."

"Yippee!" Keroro smiled, "Thank you, Master Natsumi!" He hugged Natsumi tightly. He really was like an overgrown child, hugging the person who could ask him to die with just a word. He didn't have any fear of her.

Natsumi frowned to herself. Keroro really was quiet kind and easy going despite his position. _I shouldn't have control over him. He shouldn't have to ask me a favor to not order him to do something he doesn't want to do._ Natsumi realized.

After all, what if he had been owned by someone else? What if the thing he was begging his owner not to ask him was something terrible, like begging his owner to let him have food?

The way things were with the silver bloods was wrong. And Natsumi felt so much regret for the way Keroro's life was.

"K-keroro?" Natsumi said his name for once, "I'm sorry...For how I treated you when I was younger."

Keroro looked a bit shocked by Natsumi's apology. "It's all right, Master Natsumi. Everybody's emotional at weddings. Heck, I'm emotional too! You don't have to say weird things." He had just brushed off her apology.

"Do you ever feel bad about how you're Fuyuki's pet and not just his friend?" Natsumi asked after a moment of thinking.

Keroro smiled a bit. "No. It's a much better alternative than living in a ditch and dying and being nobody's pet like most of the silver bloods." Keroro admitted, "I'd much rather have a comfortable life than no life."

 _He shouldn't have to make that choice._ Natsumi thought to herself. She couldn't continue her apology because Keroro quickly walked away. It was like he didn't want to see the reality of his life.

* * *

The room was filled with people wearing garish and extravagant masks. This was a high class wedding, probably the most expensive and extravagant wedding in the last thirty years.

Although the red bloods were Natsumi's people, she still felt wrong being with them at Fuyuki's wedding. She didn't want to be one of those people who commanded the silver blood's like they were cattle. She didn't want to be just a 'red-blood.'

 _Come on Natsumi. Stay positive. It's your brother's wedding._ Natsumi reminded herself as guests started sitting down all over the place.

Natsumi felt her guilt lessen when she did see that there were two silver bloods attending, Keroro, Fuyuki's pet and Tamama, Momoka's.

Natsumi hadn't talked to Tamama much. But she did notice that he was as sharply dressed as Keroro, probably because of Momoka's money. He had tiny little shorts and a long sleeve coat. His hair was smoothed and red like his mother had dressed him. Momoka probably liked to dress him up.

He was short, shorter than Natsumi at least. Still he was clearly a silver blood because of the tattoos all over his body, a sharp sort of arrow mark cut in half with the colors green and yellow. His ears were scaly and reptilian just barely poking out of his hair. And he had a large collar studded with diamonds.

He was an expensive pet.

Natsumi would have said hi to him but he looked like he was happily talking to Keroro, swaying over and holding Keroro's arm, flirtily putting his arm around Keroro's waist and having a mischievous smile. Keroro was blushing and telling him that he had said 'some sort of funny joke.' when Tamama was clearly flirting with him.

Keroro was just dense as nails.

 _Still they both look happy that their friends are getting married. I'm happy for them._ Natsumi smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure they don't cause any trouble." Aki, Natsumi's mother whispered into Natsumi's ears, leaning over to her, seeing that Natsumi was eyeing Keroro and Tamama. "It's rare to have silver bloods at a red blood wedding but Momoka and Fuyuki insisted. And I wanted Fuyuki to be happy. But I'll get 'em if they want to do something weird. They are not ruining my son's wedding."

Natsumi frowned beneath her mask. _So they're allowed to celebrate their friends wedding as long as someone keeps an eye on them? That isn't right. They should be able to enjoy it as much as me._

She felt sick to her stomach. People didn't deserve to be treated that way. Why had it taken so long to realize this?

"K, Mom." Natsumi squeaked out quietly. She didn't even know if she could look at her Mom the same. Her Mom was an enslaver. For once she was happy to wear the mask and that it was hiding her disgusted look.

"Go find a seat with one of your friends while we wait for Momoka to be ready. She wants things to be perfect. Apparently she's going all bridezilla on some of her maids. Some rooms are being destroyed!" Aki smiled in a sing-song voice. "Koyuki wanted me to remind you though that she's checking the guest list to make sure nobody's sneaked in. So she won't be around."

Natsumi nodded. She'd have to find someone else then to kill time with. She glanced at Keroro wondering if she should go back to him to hang out.

 _He probably doesn't want to see me._ She reminded herself. _I'm his enslaver. Not someone he's on the same position of power with._ She let Keroro continue his conversation with Tamama and left to go find someone else who looked nice.

Walking around the aisles of seats, she didn't recognize many of her friends. Most of the people there were Fuyuki and Momoka's friends or just people with high status in the red blood society. Rich people and nobility.

She finally sat down in an open seat next to a girl in a purple dress. She had short silver hair and was wearing bracelets around her arms with an odd white and purple pattern. Although she had a fan in her hands to cover her face like a lot of rich noble women, the one thing that stuck out to Natsumi about her was her mask- it was sort of placed on her face wrong in a clumsy sort of manner like it was crooked.

Natsumi tried not to giggle a moment as she sat down next to the girl who looked to be around her age. Of course that was Natsumi's best guess since she couldn't see her face, only the sort of masquerade like mask that covered her entire top half of her face and the top of her hair like a crown. Natsumi couldn't see her eyes very well under the silver and purple sparkly design but she appreciated the fact that she could see the girl's smile. It was rare to have a mask that didn't completely or partially cover the lips.

"You weren't saving this seat for someone, right?" Natsumi asked the girl, slipping next to her.

The girl glanced up. Looking surprised to see someone try to sit next to her, she hurriedly shook her head. Her mask teetered off her nose.

"Um...Sorry, but excuse me." Natsumi dipped her head respectfully, "Your mask...It's not on properly. It's a little bit crooked." She pointed out in barely a whisper.

"Oh! Oops." The girl giggled, "You could say, so clumsy?" Carefully the girl corrected her mask, "Sorry about that. I'm a bit frazzled."

"Frazzled?" Natsumi asked. _Didn't you learn how to keep your mask straightened when you were a child?_ She wanted to ask. But she kept her voice down and tried to be polite.

"I only got to this city just this year." The girl explained giggling, "I'm a traveler from one of the neighboring counties."

Natsumi nodded. _That actually doesn't make much sense why she's frazzled. Most of the counties are just like this one when it comes to masks._ There wasn't a single place in the world that didn't have one. But she didn't want to call the girl a liar and accuse her of just being clumsy. Natsumi wasn't stupid. _She has money to travel though. She's probably a rich noble. Makes sense why she was invited to the wedding._

Natsumi noticed that the girl was looking over at Keroro and Tamama, like Natsumi herself had been. _I wonder if she thinks it's weird two silver blood's at the wedding. Mom did after all._

"Did you not see many silver bloods at weddings back in your home city?" Natsumi asked.

The girl shook her head, slowly. Natsumi noticed her mouth had formed into a frown when the girl's eyes lingered on their collars.

"It's...Odd...Isn't it? Their collars." Natsumi tried to take a chance to talk about something moral. She felt nervousness bubble in her stomach. Throughout her years questioning how society forced the red bloods to wear masks and the silver bloods to be their slaves anytime she had tried to bring it up to someone else that she was uncomfortable by it they brushed her off, like it was a good thing. Still it was Natsumi's go to strategy to learn what kind of person a stranger was. If they sided even a little bit with the silver blood's plight or if she was just...different.

"Not that odd." The girl responded, "After all there's usually a class in power in all society's. There's never such a thing as a utopia." She answered like she was a textbook.

"But does it make you uncomfortable to see it? Them being treated like their not human. Things not being equal?" Natsumi prodded.

The girl sighed. "It...It doesn't seem right." She answered like an innocent child, "How they're treated. Like they're not human."

Natsumi perked up at the girl's confession. _Nobody's ever agreed with me before. That it seems wrong!_ Confidence piled in her. Maybe she was right that this wasn't the way things should be. "I'm Natsumi Hinata, the groom's sister." Natsumi greeted, letting the girl shake her hand.

"My name's Mois." Mois smiled, "It's a real pleasure to meet you!"

Natsumi smiled back at the girl. She was so glad she wasn't the only one who secretly desired some sort of equality or felt that things were wrong the way they currently were.

The two chatted until Natsumi was called away to walk down the aisle with the other brisemaids. (Which included just her. Turned out despite Momoka's riches, Momoka didn't have many friends and Koyuki had a job to do and was unavailable to help.)

* * *

Eventually the wedding ceremony finally started. Natsumi stood somewhat near Momoka as a bridesmaid as Fuyuki looked at his bride with utter happiness. Natsumi could imagine him having this dopey lovesick grin. However she couldn't see her brother's face under his childish green frog mask that looked like he had won it at some carnival.

The music played and Momoka walked down the aisle with several flowers. Natsumi had never seen the girl more happy and beautiful, although she did make a finger sign at her throat at the organ player.

"If you mess up my wedding, you're gone." Momoka hissed.

Her mask looked like it melted into her skin, the dark blue cat like thing soft as silk. The holes around the eyes had been done to be larger so that Fuyuki was able to see her joy. Really all Natsumi could see was her glaring at everyone except Fuyuki.

Momoka finally reached the aisle, tossed her bouquet prematurely at Tamama's face to catch and threw her arms around her husband to be. Unable to kiss him because of their blocked mouths, she nuzzled up into his arms.

Fuyuki sounded bashful as he stuttered. Eventually he found the words he wanted to say.

"Before we get married," Fuyuki spoke aloud, "I'd like to show the crowd something before they have a chance to complain at our union."

"Why would they complain, Fuyuki?" Momoka asked, curiously.

"What if someone else wants you?" Fuyuki pointed out. "They might say they object to our union because they want to marry you themselves! I read it in a book once."

Momoka pouted. It was actually more likely that Fuyuki's jealous admirers would try to steal him away than anyone from her.

Fuyuki turned to the crowd and smiled. "Momoka and I are meant to be together. So don't you say that you object to our union! And I am overjoyed that she will be my wife even if this is an arranged marriage, because..." He slowly lifted his shirt down a little bit to show an odd sort of dark blue tattoo. "We're soul mates."

Momoka nodded and let Fuyuki pull down her dress a little bit too, not enough that her chest was bare, but to show her tattoo, the same tattoo as Fuyuki's on her chest. She looked a bit bashful but she was clearly used to Fuyuki pulling down her clothes.

"Oh not here, Fuyuki...Can't you wait an hour at least?" Momoka blushed.

"Um...I'm trying to explain something cool and scientific...Not undress you." Fuyuki tried to explain. But Momoka was lost in her fantasies.

 _A soul mark!_ Natsumi gasped for a moment seeing the mark. There were rumors and legends about soul marks. Some people claimed they were true, some people hated them. It was incredibly rare to find your soul mate, legend said that after you kissed your soul mate a tattoo would form on both of you magically forming a bond of equality. This story was valued and beloved by all red bloods, but not as much silver bloods.

It was probably because silver bloods weren't allowed to have soul mates. They were randomly assigned breeding partners unable to explore romance or dating because the small amount of research that had been done on soul mates said that if a silver blood found their soul mate (another silver blood) the programming in their blood would be overridden and they would not have to obey any red bloods commands any longer. Because of the bond of equality between soul mates, only the silver blood's soul mate could order them to do anything, although silver blood's couldn't order other silver blood's so they had true freedom.

And most of the red bloods didn't like that. So in the rare occurrence that a silver blood had found their soul mate, the silver blood would be executed. That's why their tattoos were always tallied and they had a specific tattoo, so that if they somehow developed a new one it could be very obviously out of place.

Natsumi tried to shake out of her mind that silver bloods were once again not allowed to have the freedom that she enjoyed. Fuyuki had found his soul mate in another red blood as was normal. He was lucky that his soul mate would be his wife.

"I know it's rare to see a living soul mark." Fuyuki explained to the crowd, "And that's why I'm planning after my honeymoon to do more research on this soul mate thing. After all it's so unique and occult and cool!"

Momoka frowned. The words she would have used were 'romantic.'

 _I wonder how long they knew they were soul mates._ Natsumi wondered. Fuyuki had been sort of a spokesperson for every red blood finding their soul mate for a while. Must have been because he had his first kiss with Momoka pretty early on.

 _Ugh. I don't want to think about how quickly my brother was smooching his girlfriend!_ Natsumi reminded herself.

Briefly Natsumi wondered what would happen if a silver blood and a red blood were soul mates. Did that mean that the silver blood only had to obey that single red blood? _Nah. Us red bloods are too egotistical to think that any silver blood could be our soul mate._

Natsumi felt sadness well in her stomach yet. She was happy that Fuyuki had miraculously found his soul mate, but she felt pity again that the silver bloods weren't allowed to find their soul mates. She glanced at Keroro and Tamama, who were clearly interested in each other.

 _They'll never be able to have Fuyuki and Momoka's happiness. If they ever kiss they'll be killed._ Natsumi frowned. If they were soul mates they would be executed for their crime. They weren't allowed to be happy.

Things felt wrong yet again. Nauseatingly wrong. Natsumi tried to push that out of her mind as Fuyuki and Momoka said their 'I do's' and hugged each other since they couldn't kiss through their masks.

"Carry me off Fuyuki to make love to me!" Momoka ordered.

"Uhhh...I think there's supposed to be a wedding reception." Fuyuki reminded, "And I want to talk to other scientists about soul marks! It's just...So cool, ya know?" Fuyuki beamed.

Momoka groaned. At least she'd have her husband to herself some point in this day. Hopefully. It was her wedding after all.

* * *

The wedding guests lingered around, drinking and dancing in the guest room. This was the most joyous time of the wedding where Fuyuki and Momoka would be able to talk to their guests and also spend some time together dancing. Momoka was actually rather dramatic at pulling Fuyuki away from his friends to dance with her so they could have some surprisingly romantic moments at their wedding.

Well surprising for Fuyuki.

Natsumi didn't hang around her brother much. Instead she approached her new friend Mois, who she had found some sort of connection with because of their similar belief that things should be a little more equal.

She knew Koyuki had already left the party as soon as the wedding had finished. Koyuki had way too much work to do.

Natsumi sat down in front of Mois, handing her a glass of wine. "I think my brother probably should have told me that he had a soul mate before revealing it to the world." Natsumi laughed, "I mean, shouldn't he tell me more about his life? I'm his sister!"

 _I want to form a connection with this girl aside from our pity for silver bloods. If I ever want to do anything with our common interests we're going to need to know each other a bit more than just both wanting a thirst for justice._ Natsumi reminded herself.

Mois took a small sip and was rather quiet.

"Do you think it's fair that red blood's soul mates are celebrated but silver bloods aren't allowed that sort of romantic luxury?" Natsumi finally asked, wondering if yet again she and Mois were on the same wavelength. What she really wanted to do was chat about political issues.

"I don't believe in soul mate stuff." Mois was rather abrupt in her response. "I mean how does a tattoo that magically appears against your will show that someone is a perfect match for you?"

Natsumi didn't know. She had always kind of liked the stories about soul mates. _But it's romantic!_ Natsumi frowned.

"Anyway, silver bloods can probably find love and happiness with whoever they're matched with. They can still have happy lives with someone even if it's not their 'supposed' soul mates. There's multiple love possibilities out there for people, you know." Mois lectured.

"I...I guess." Natsumi knew that was true. She just didn't like to think about it. _I kind of wish something would end this conversation._ She liked Mois fine, but she didn't like anyone crushing her romantic ideas!

Luckily, Natsumi's wish was granted. The door was blasted open by gunfire.

Immediately Natsumi and Mois fell out of their chairs, along with all of the other guests who hurriedly looked at the giant doors. Panic raised in all of their stomachs.

The last thing anyone expected their attacker to be was a silver blood. But as the smoke cleared from the bomb blast, a silver blood walked in. Before anyone could react and yell anything he shot several bullets at everyone he could see and a small net popped out of the bullet covering the red blood's mouths before they could yell anything at him.

He had only missed Mois, Natsumi, Keroro and Tamama. That was how good he was. He was a sharp shooter and he gave a toothy grin when he saw the fear in the red blood's eyes. When they realized their only weapon against him- their voice was stopped.

Thinking quickly, Natsumi grabbed Mois's hand and shoved her under the table to hide. "Quick under here." She knew she was more level-headed than anyone else in an emergency.

Mois however was just a noble girl. She shouldn't have her life at risk. Natsumi grabbed Mois's hands and put them over the girl's ears so she wouldn't hear the gunman shoot anyone down.

After a moment of holding her breath, Natsumi peeked under the white tablecloth to look at the silver blood.

He didn't have a collar like Keroro did. His neck was muscular and bare although it had some ragged skin peeling off.

He had tattoos of skulls all over his body, and his body was easily on display for all to see. All he wore after all was very ragged red pants, and a belt. He didn't even have shoes or socks.

What he did have in plenty was scars though. Especially on his face, there was one scar covering his blue eyes. And he looked angry.

His teeth were sharp like fangs, like he was a shark or something. His skin was tan and his hair was blond. He had dog like ears that perked up whenever he heard any sort of sound.

It was clear enough from looking at him that he was a silver blood that had broken out of the torture chambers below the city, that silver blood's were brought to if they were too unhappy with the conditions placed on them and they tried to rebel even with their orders. It was a sad, horrifying place. Natsumi didn't know anyone could survive down there.

Despite the fact that he was putting everyone's life at risk, Natsumi felt oddly sorry for him.

 _This is what I was thinking about. We treat silver blood's like they're inhumane. This poor guy has been the victim of that all his life._ Natsumi reminded herself. He was trying everything in his power to be scary, but Natsumi felt no fear.

The man looked over to Momoka and Fuyuki, the bride and groom. He pulled out a new gun that didn't have a net, instead it was filled with bullets. Real ones.

Fuyuki looked terrified although he couldn't speak with the net over his mouth. He looked like he wanted to know what the silver blood wanted.

"I have to kill you." The silver blood hissed, "Both of you. You're the next generation that will rule this world. With you out of the picture things will be much better for everyone. Don't want any more of that Nishizawa Hinata line after all."

"Giroro! Stop!" Keroro hadn't been forced to be silent, since he was a silver blood. He scurried out of hiding to stop the silver blood- named Giroro. Keroro seemed to recognize the intruder. "He's my friend." He tried to get in front of Fuyuki.

"Red blood's can't be our friend. They imprison us." Giroro hissed. He looked at Tamama and Keroro. "You two are silver blood's like me. Prisoners. You're welcome to join my revolution against the awful red blood's."

Tamama and Keroro glanced at each other and both shook their heads. "You're a criminal to society. You've been beaten time and time again. You keep trying to start this revolution and you keep failing. It's not going anywhere!" Keroro pointed out.

"Yeah! That and Momoka and Fuyuki are our friends. We're not betraying them." Tamama stuck up for what he thought was right.

Giroro sighed. That was a pity. "They'll be dead soon enough, so maybe then you'll reconsider my offer." He approached Fuyuki and Momoka. His steps were slow, but they were hollow. Everyone could hear each loud step.

Although Natsumi did feel sorry for him. She didn't want her brother to be killed. _I won't reveal myself and order him to stop. He'll probably silence me just as quickly. But maybe I can get him to lose his footing._

She was glad Koyuki wasn't there. Koyuki would have stopped her from doing something reckless.

She was worried for her brother. Afraid for him. Putting a finger to her mouth signaling Mois to be silent, she quickly stuck her foot out of under the table, just as Giroro was passing.

"Whoa!" Giroro quickly shot at the ground and Natsumi's leg, with real bullets instead of the net gun. He did however trip quite a bit, trying to steady his footing. Just like Mois, he was slightly a bit clumsy.

Natsumi shot out of under the table, trying to get a grip on Giroro before he could shoot her. The bullets narrowly missed her, but they were still close.

"Well, isn't that interesting. A red blood with guts." Giroro snarled almost amused. His laugh sounded mocking. "Most of them now that they can't talk are hiding from me. But I suppose you're still going to try to order me to stop."

"No." Natsumi responded. Despite it being the easiest course of action and that it would save lives, she didn't want to beat Giroro by commanding him against his will to stop. She wouldn't turn into what he was fighting against.

Giroro looked confused for a moment. "Ah I see. You want me to bow to you or beg you for forgiveness. Probably want to turn me into some pet or something. Well I won't put on one of your pathetic collars, red blood!" He hissed, "Nobody's been able to collar me before so the person who breaks me certainly won't be you!" He pointed to his neck, covered by scars from collars he had ripped off. His skin was peeling and bruised.

Natsumi tried to stay calm. Getting scared wouldn't help her against this foe. "I don't want to collar you." She saw it as some sort of hope that he hadn't tried to silence her yet. "I don't believe in that sort of stuff. Having a human pet." That was true. Keroro was solely Fuyuki's pet, not her's. She didn't want to own someone.

"Oh. Trying to take the high ground, are you? Well, I'm not impressed." Giroro raised his gun.

"Instead I want to fight you. I understand why you'd be mad and hate us red bloods after all. I'd do the same if I were in your position. However I also can't let you kill my brother and new sister-in-law." Natsumi glared at him. She needed Giroro to see that she wasn't evil. That she saw them as the same, equals. Maybe then she could negotiate with him.

Giroro glanced at Fuyuki. So this was the strange courageous red blood's sister. _Wish she was a silver blood. I could have used her help in pulling this off. Too bad her talents are wasted on evil._

He shot his gun towards Natsumi, but not directly at her, to see if she'd run and hide. Natsumi didn't run, but let some of the curtains catch on fire behind her. She didn't even glance at the flames.

"Natsumi stop!" Mois scurried out of under the table, "Without weapons and without using your ability as a red blood, you'll be killed!" She pointed out. Her pleas weren't very helpful to the current situation.

Giroro frowned. He could afford to entertain Natsumi since she didn't seem to be making any attempt to order him to do anything, but this other red blood wasn't like her. She was annoying. He grabbed Mois before she could stop Natsumi and placed his gun to her head.

"Back off, or I'll kill her." Giroro hissed, taking Mois as a hostage.

Natsumi glared. _I was trying to be civilized._ She took a step back as Giroro secured a net around Mois's mouth so she couldn't order him to do anything either. Despite the net around Mois's mouth she was still slightly chattery making awkward screaming noises.

"Let's make a deal." Natsumi offered.

"I'm not interested with bargaining with red bloods." Giroro glared at her.

"Please fight me. Equally. No mind control, no weapons. If I manage to beat you with just my natural strength you leave us in peace and don't kill anyone." Natsumi tried to bargain. Because she said 'please' it wasn't an order and Giroro wasn't obligated to do it.

Giroro thought for a moment. He was wary of bargaining with a red blood, but at the same time it was the first time any red blood had given him a choice. And because of that he felt slightly like he wanted to take it. _I've never had a choice before._ Having a choice made him feel powerful.

That and he wanted to fight.

"If you take off your mask." Giroro finally hissed, grinning sharply. He knew red bloods saw it as a taboo to take off their masks. And this would show him if Natsumi was seriously willing to bargain with him and treat him with respect.

Also it might humiliate her. And since he had tried to attack red bloods several times throughout his life and all of those times had ended in a failure, humiliating one red blood could be taken as a victory.

It was forbidden to her that she take off her mask. So if she threw away her whole culture to fight him, he would take her bargain.

Natsumi frowned for a moment, but gladly did it. Now she had an excuse after all. She quickly removed her mask much to a lot of the guests shock. They seemed more frightened of her bare face than the shooter.

Tossing it into the fire like it was nothing, she smiled. "There." She grinned broadly as she watched it burn.

Giroro looked slightly impressed. "Fine, we'll fight. Natsumi was it?"

Natsumi nodded. _I feel more like myself. More confident to have that thing off._ And Giroro didn't look like he was judging her in any way to be bare faced.

Instead he looked like he was slightly happy, smiling to himself to be treated with respect for once in his life. Giroro dropped Mois and his guns on the ground. "Stay. For your friend's sake." He ordered to Mois.

Mois gave a small nod. "Ow!" She even seemed to say beneath the net.

Giroro approached Natsumi, his fists ready. He looked strong and muscular, but Natsumi felt she could take him. Even without mind control she was good in a fight. Giroro didn't know what was coming.

Her moves were swift and agile as she dodged Giroro's blows and kicked him and punched him. Eventually just as she predicted Giroro fell to the ground. "Ow!" He said loudly, but he looked up at Natsumi like he respected that she had beaten him with her own skill.

Natsumi looked down at the silver blood on the ground. "I win." She blew off her fist like it was a gun. "You'll leave, right?"

Giroro nodded. "That was a respectable display. And I keep my promises." He glanced at her as he prepared to leave, "Out of all the red bloods, you don't seem as bad as the rest. However we still aren't equal." Giroro glared.

 _I did it! I saved everyone without having to order him to do anything against his will._ Natsumi just seemed pleased with herself. _This is proof that there are better ways!_

Giroro did a back handed wave as he turned around. He respected that Natsumi wouldn't attack him while his back turned.

Police sirens went off, someone must have called the local authorities or the nearest red blood with political power that wasn't invited to the party. Tamama looked sheepish.

"Heard someone escaped from the torture chambers down below." The smoke was still lowering from the door as the red blood noble known as Saburo leaned on the door way. Natsumi could barely see him but she could hear his voice.

"Ku, ku, ku. Can't believe I wasn't invited to the party. Rude." The voice of Saburo's friend, Kululu, another red blood was at the other end of the door. "But it looks like you had a...Blast without me." He commented on how the party looked like it had been bombed.

There was a sound of a high-five like Saburo and Kululu had high-fived over the bad joke.

 _Run!_ Natsumi wanted to yell, but she was too late.

Natsumi's least two red bloods were already there. And there was the sound of electricity going through the air as Kululu zapped Giroro with a powerful tazer before he could run away and flee to safety.

Giroro fell to the ground with a loud thud. And the building caught on fire.

"Oops. My bad." Kululu sarcastically shrugged. It actually looked like he had done it on purpose. "Guess this makes up for you guys 'losing' my invention or something. After all aren't Saburo and I politically powerful red blood nobles too? Ku, ku, ku. Better run before you all die in a terrible fire."

Guests screamed. Kululu was way more scary than Giroro. Giroro was mostly harmless after all. He tried to kill but always failed. Kululu though? Who knew how many skeletons the guy had in his closet?

Saburo grabbed Giroro and put him over his shoulder. "You guys should probably try to escape before the building burns down." He advised. He turned around to take Giroro back to the torture chambers.

The guests quickly did as they were told.

* * *

Fuyuki and Momoka had already left. They didn't have time to be interviewed by the press, instead they had run off to enjoy their wedding night. At least that was what Momoka had loudly told Natsumi.

Natsumi sat outside the now burnt building with a blanket draped over her arms. Koyuki and Aki were carefully looking after her, mourning the loss of her mask more than the damage caused to the building. Still Aki praised her for her bravery.

"That awful silver blood!" Aki frowned.

"I heard all about what you did, Natsumi. I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop him." Koyuki frowned. "Although technically it goes against my jurisdiction to control silver bloods. I only keep red bloods in line after all."

"He's a jerk, trying to kill my best friend!" Keroro huffed, "I hate him!"

 _I don't hate him._ Natsumi realized as she curled up in her blanket. Sure, Giroro had tried to kill her brother, Momoka and Mois and even her, but she had seen the anger in his eyes. The injustice. She felt bad for him. Pity mostly.

She understood why he would try to kill them all. She didn't hold it against him. _I wish I could have helped him._ She knew a lot of people were talking about her bravery with how she had stood up to the 'rouge silver blood' but she wasn't brave at all if she couldn't stand up against what was really evil. The society that treated silver bloods as lesser people and forced red blood's to wear masks.

"I got you a new mask." Koyuki tried to reassure Natsumi and held out a new mask for her. "It's in your size."

"I don't need it." Natsumi's voice wasn't a squeak, instead it was filled with confidence. She was a princess, and she should start acting more like a leader.

She needed to stand up for what she believed in. Not be so timid and selfish. She stood up. "I am no longer going to wear a mask."

Aki and Koyuki looked shocked. "But it's tradition!" Aki pointed out.

"Well I'm going to change that." Natsumi declared, "That criminal, Giroro, he's probably going to be executed. But we made him like that. He's been tortured all his life. I don't want any more silver blood's to go through what he went through and try to kill us." Natsumi told them, seeing that the press was around and would take her declarations into the news, she smiled. She knew what she had to do.

"I'm going to start an opposition group with how things are run in our society. A revolution. I want us not to have to wear those dumb masks. And more importantly I want silver bloods to be treated as equals. I want us all to be the same." Natsumi declared.

She stepped onto a crate, waiting for the onlookers to come to her side. "So who's with me in my revolution?" She was loud and proud, a box being her biggest stage.

"I think you've been a little shaken by the attack." Aki admitted.

Natsumi frowned. She looked around at her friends. Koyuki, her best friend in the whole world, looked at the ground and ignored her.

Keroro and Tamama, silver blood's who would benefit from this revolution, shook their heads. "I like how things are." Keroro admitted.

"If Keroro likes it, I like it." Tamama said quickly.

"Put on your mask please." Aki begged.

Natsumi shook her head. Even if she had to do this revolution alone she would. A revolution always started with one person after all.

She glanced at Mois who was brushing herself off. Mois looked up at Natsumi. "Why not?" She sighed. "Sure I'll help!" She smiled. She pledged herself to a revolution like she had nothing better to do.

Natsumi grinned. At least someone was with her.

Mois stepped onto the box with Natsumi carefully as Aki looked away unable to stop Natsumi now that someone was fueling Natsumi's delusions. Natsumi held onto her hand trying not to let Mois fall off of the box. It was difficult. Mois seemed a little bit clumsy.

"You want to throw away your mask too?" Natsumi offered.

Mois shook her head. "All I want is an equal society. My mask will stay on though."

Natsumi nodded. She couldn't force Mois. Hopefully Mois's mask would come off with time.

She held the girl's hand. At least she had one partner.

Even if it was just her and Mois alone, Natsumi was sure that she would change society. She wouldn't ever give up until her revolution had changed the world.

* * *

 **A list of the characters currently and what we know of them:**

 **Natsumi: A red blood, used to wear a red bird mask. She's the highest class in society, her mother and father are king and queen. She's started a revolution against injustice.**

 **Mois: A noble from a neighboring county. She wears a purple-ish masquerade mask. Red blood.**

 **Fuyuki: Red blood. Natsumi's brother. Prince of the kingdom. Frog mask. Momoka's soul mate.**

 **Momoka: Richest woman on the planet. Fuyuki's new wife. Red blood. Dark blue cat mask. Fuyuki's soul mate.**

 **Koyuki: Red blood. Fox mask. Assassin who kills red blood's out of line.**

 **Keroro: Silver blood. Has rabbit ears. Fuyuki's pet.**

 **Tamama: Silver blood. Has scaly sort of ears. Momoka's pet.**

 **Giroro: Silver blood. Dog ears. Refuses to be anyone's pet. Has tried to start a revolution several times and has always been dragged back down to underneath the city to be tortured.**

 **Kululu: Red blood noble.**

 **Saburo: Red blood noble.**

 **Please review!**


	2. Collared

**Next chapter. This chapter focuses on the start of Natsumi's opposition group and things like that. It also introduces Dororo who was not mentioned in the previous chapter, because would you believe that I forgot? I am sorry.**

 **I also apologize for sneaking in a meme.**

* * *

It had been a full week since the attack at Fuyuki's wedding. Natsumi's revolution which she had named, 'The Wings of Freedom' had been going on for a week and she still hadn't given up. During the first two days things had been a bit quiet although she had created several rallies to spout out her message, but after a week almost everyone knew what Natsumi was doing thanks to the news outlets.

Apparently a noble red blood not wearing a mask was a big deal. And although nobody had followed suit and taken off their masks themselves a few people had started treating silver blood's better, giving them more freedom to choose their own meals or things like that.

Natsumi knew eventually she'd be an inspiration for all to see.

"You could say, a bit of a slow start at first though?" Mois walked by Natsumi's side on the street. She had stood by Natsumi's side and helped print fliers to get her message out. She was like a secretary a bit, and although she wasn't as loud and brimming with confidence as Natsumi she was a heck of a lot more organized.

Natsumi didn't know what she would do without Mois.

"It's not a slow start." Natsumi replied, "I'm sure more people will officially join our cause soon." Natsumi narrowed her eyes as Mois drifted closer to her, grabbing onto her arm so that the two of them could peacefully walk through the streets.

Although some people had started treating their silver blood's better, on an average of 90% most people hated her revolution. People had begun to throw rocks and call at her in the street with a slew of insults.

"Naked face! Naked face!" Some would chant when they looked at Natsumi. Natsumi stuck her nose up at them and kept walking.

Even silver bloods who were doing manual labor would laugh at her naked face. "No wonder the red blood's wear masks. They're so ugly." Some would say.

Natsumi frowned. _I'm doing this for you! Why would you hate my revolution?_ Natsumi wondered. It didn't make sense. But the silver bloods by far were the most nasty to her. It was like they didn't even want her help.

Natsumi sat down with Mois at a little coffee shop. Taking a sip of some coffee she skimmed the newspaper, hoping their would be some news about her. The newspapers were brimming with her revolution after all. It was big news that she had taken off her mask.

 _'Natsumi Hinata's freedom revolution proves to be a big dud. Nobody joins.'_ The headlines read. Natsumi frowned, crumpled up the newspaper and threw it at a window in anger.

"Are you regretting things?" Mois asked, glancing at Natsumi, concerned. "It's true that it's been a week and we haven't gotten any help or anyone even interested in your message. Nobody's taken off their mask except you. Even the silver blood's don't want to help you."

Natsumi grit her teeth. "I would never regret doing the right thing. People might hate me, but trying to change things is the right way to do. And the only way anybody will listen to me is if I have a peaceful revolution like this one, instead of a violent one."

She didn't want to put Koyuki in a tight spot after all. Right now although she was stirring up the peace she wasn't actually breaking any laws and Koyuki hadn't been sent to silence her. Although Koyuki appeared uncomfortable by Natsumi's loud revolution she didn't look like she was stopping it. That was the best Koyuki could do for her.

Mois smiled. "Sometimes the right thing puts you in an awkward position." She touched Natsumi's arm lightly and smiled at her, "I'm proud that you're fighting against the chains society have given you."

Natsumi grinned at her friend. At least she had Mois. _She's one of the few things getting me through all the name calling. She's so nice and supportive._ She wished she could have found Mois sooner than Fuyuki's wedding. She was a nice girl and she wished they could have been friends longer.

"Thanks." Natsumi smiled and hugged Mois. She and Mois would change the world, together. That was something she was certain of.

* * *

At 2 pm, Natsumi stood on a new stage as Mois handled the light fixtures in the background. Natsumi was having another rally to talk about her message. And although some people had scurried to be in front of her, curious as to what the bare faced princess would say, there wasn't a large crowd. There were only about 20 people not including press which crowded the streets much more. And some of the 20 were armed with tomatoes to throw at her.

"The Wings of freedom is a freedom group designed to give choice to everyone. Red bloods and silver bloods alike." Natsumi spoke, "No longer should masks shackle our faces designed for pitiful privacy. I mean some of us even have difficulties eating because of them!" She pointed out.

People chattered. That was true. The masks were a hassle. They would like to not eat in private if they had a mask covering their mouth.

"Silver bloods deserve choice too! I mean how many of us own a silver blood and know that they have good personalities and want them to be our friend? A friendship can't form if their imprisoned by us. Don't you care about people just like you?" Natsumi asked.

Some people lowered their tomatoes. Some of them didn't hate silver bloods. They just liked the luxury that the silver blood's gave them. Chatter started forming between the crowd.

 _I'm winning them!_ Natsumi realized.

"What inspired you to start this revolution?" One of the reporters asked. "You've admitted to thinking all these things for a while, but what inspired you to act."

"My brother's wedding." Natsumi said quite honestly. She closed her eyes and Giroro's face formed in her head.

She could still see it clearly, his anger, his bitterness. But most importantly his scars stuck out to her, and the pain in his eyes. He had been backed into a corner by the red bloods, desperate to get free of his torture he had done the first thing he could think of, trying to do the horrible act of murder.

 _He clearly wasn't evil though. After all, he gave me a chance as soon as he realized I wanted to talk, that I wasn't trying to control him._ He had been the strongest silver blood she had ever met and although he had waved a gun in her friend's faces, she knew he was probably more frightened than she had ever been in her life.

 _And he's probably dead by now. He was probably executed for his crimes._ Natsumi remembered. _He tried to get freedom, but he failed in the end. But I won't let his memory be in vain. I'll try to achieve what he dreamed of._

"As most of you might know, a silver blood attacked us at the wedding and tried to kill us all." Natsumi spoke, "He was captured by the authorities and taken away to be executed for his crimes."

"And...This silver blood inspired you to free all silver bloods?" A reporter asked. That didn't make much sense.

"I should correct myself. He wasn't just some silver blood. Silver blood's have names and we should use them. His name was..." _Giroro._ She remembered it. She hadn't ever called him by the name but for some reason his name was something she always remembered.

They hadn't known each other very long, but he had inspired her. It was like he needed to be a part of her revolution. He might have been dead now, but she hoped his spirit would have been happy with what she had done with his memory.

"Giroro. His name was Giroro." Natsumi nodded, "And although I fought him to protect my brother, we treated each other as equals. In our fight we weren't a red blood and silver blood, we were just us." Natsumi gave a small smile. She didn't realize she was smiling at the memory.

"Giroro had been tortured all his life for not following the red blood's rules. You could see scars all over his body and his skin torn away from where he had pulled collars off of him. Collars that might have been sewed onto him." Natsumi frowned, "It...It wasn't right to see him like that. It hurt me to see him like that. He might have attacked us, but he did it out of fear. He just wanted to be free. And even though he was taken away and killed I want to honor his memory and try to get the freedom he desired. I feel like we owe it to him."

Natsumi thought again for a moment. "So I suppose you can say that Giroro inspired me to start this." She didn't feel ashamed admitting this.

"So...Just to make this clear...You were inspired to start a revolution by a dangerous blood-thirsty silver blood who attempted to murder several people and has been deemed a threat to society?" The reporter asked. "...Okay..."

The tomatoes were thrown at Natsumi. Apparently her message had been lost as soon as she admitted to being inspired by Giroro. Natsumi wiped the tomato slime off of her face.

Mois face palmed behind the stage. As people left angrily, she pulled Natsumi behind the curtains with her, handing her a towel.

"How do you think the rally went? I think it went better than usual. Some people appeared to even be listening to me!" Natsumi said proudly. "Maybe next time we'll get some members."

"You want my advice?" Mois asked, "I...I think you should stop mentioning Giroro. It frightens people that you were inspired by him. You talk about him like he's a hero even though he tried to kill Fuyuki and me."

Natsumi frowned. "He is a hero! To himself at least. He must have had so much strength to just live as him."

He had never broken, never given in to be a red blood's slave. Even after being tortured he still would have rather died than put on a collar.

Her eyes remembered drifting over his skin, seeing every scar. They must have all told a painful story.

 _I might be outwardly strong but I don't know if I have that emotional strength. If our positions were reversed could I keep fighting back like that?_ Natsumi wondered. She didn't know.

She admired Giroro in a way. He had survived for so long even from his torture. And he had stayed strong. That kind of strength should be acknowledged as a hero.

 _I don't hate him at all even though he tried to hurt us._ "He lived a tortured existence. And I want that to be remembered. That he lived when he could have just survived."

Mois frowned. She didn't think that was really what the people wanted to hear. "It's just...That scares them. They see him as some sort of terrorist and maybe they think you're in league with him. Maybe they think that you're going to start a silver blood revolution to kill all red bloods!"

Natsumi shook her head. "I care about the red blood's too. I just want them to treat the silver bloods with respect. I want us all to live together."

Mois frowned again. "Just stop talking about Giroro. It's not winning you any favors."

Natsumi frowned. She didn't know if she wanted to do that.

* * *

After cleaning the tomato juice off of herself, Natsumi and Mois headed away from the stage. Oddly near them was a crowd of people, probably ten times the amount Natsumi's rally had gathered. They were all cheering and clapping.

 _Another rally!_ Natsumi realized. Hope boiled in her stomach. _Was...Someone inspired by me? Did someone actually start making rallies themselves to spread my message?_ After all this rally was happening immediately after her's. It had to be directly influenced by her.

"Natsumi!" Mois pointed out, "They're all clapping! What's going on?"

Natsumi grinned. "We'll see." She grabbed Mois's hand. "Move aside people!" She yelled, pushing past the crowd to get to the front of the stage and see whatever person she had inspired. Was it a sweet and docile girl like Mois? Or was it someone filled with brimming confidence and justice like her.

People tried to keep her from getting to the stage as she pushed past them. But she was sure to push as hard as she could, until she got to the front of the crowd.

Mois let her hold onto her hand as tightly as possible as she held onto her mask so that it wouldn't fall off. "Ow!" She would say as people stepped on her foot.

"And that's why my organization, 'Grounded' promises to crush whatever naive dreams that Natsumi girl is pushing towards. After all, why would we throw away our traditions?" Natsumi heard.

She felt dread. _An...Opposition group has already started against me?_

"If silver bloods wanted freedom they would have tried to get it themselves and done a less pitiful job of being themselves. I say that if they want freedom try to take it. But clearly they don't deserve it, I mean we're not just going to give something to them for free. Who wants to give anything away for free? They haven't earned anything!" The voice continued.

"And throwing away our masks? Lame! The masks protect our privacy. They're a tradition. Part of our culture. And I swear I'll always have my mask on. Why would we all want to be as ugly as Natsumi?"

Natsumi and Mois finally got to the front of the crowd as they saw the speaker on the stage. It was Kululu, one of the red blood noble's that Natsumi hated.

 _I should have known._ Natsumi grit her teeth. She hadn't ever formerly talked to Kululu for more than a couple of minutes, but she knew of him. He was obnoxious and he was always hanging around Saburo. Constantly. He and Saburo were very close friends.

She hated looking at him. The only part of his face that was showing was his mouth. And although seeing some people's mouths like Mois's was a benefit, it wasn't doing Kululu any favors. He had a crooked toothy wicked grin. It was almost like his mouth was painted on with his large teeth and evil, malicious smile.

Every so often despicable laughter would squeak out of his mouth. It hurt Natsumi's ears.

His mask looked criminal, like it was strapped onto his face. It was yellow and golden and seemed to hide everything about Kululu, although he did have an ugly pair of glasses over it. Natsumi hadn't really seen anyone wear glasses over a mask before.

His clothes were aristocratic and fancy, they had buttons almost everywhere, up the cuff of his hand, his pants, everything. He wore a turtle neck and a coat over his clothing. They were impressive clothes, he was well dressed and fashionable but they covered everything. Not a bit of his skin could be seen.

The weirdest thing about him were his headphones, covering his ears and the top of his head. They weren't even small like he was listening to music. They were huge and he had bandages under them, like they served no purpose whatsoever except for aesthetic. He must have had terrible hearing. Maybe he was trying to drown out the sound of his own laughter.

He had medium length hair that was in some sort of messy bun. It was clear that he had cut it himself and that it wasn't the best sort of thing. It didn't even look silky and soft. It was just sort of messy like he didn't know how to treat hair.

At least it was a pretty purple color.

 _I don't know what so many girls see in him._ Natsumi frowned. He was very clearly ugly. But perhaps his fancy clothing and his insistence to keep his mask on hid that from so many girls making him popular. Or maybe it was his egotistical attitude that made the girls think there was something good about him. All Natsumi knew was he was very well known as a ladies man, which disgusted her. The only time he had ever hit on her she had been sure to kick him in the crotch.

"Kululu! What the heck are you doing?" Natsumi accused, "You...Started an opposition group against me?"

"Oh, and look who this is. We have a special guest appearance." Kululu clapped sarcastically, "Please give it up for Natsumi Hinata, the most annoying red blood on the face of the planet. Maybe she'll punch me in anger since that's all she can ever do. It may very well be her only skill. Ku, ku, ku."

Natsumi's blood boiled. She rolled up her sleeves ready to do as he said and punch him in the face. Mois held onto her, pulling her back.

"He's just trying to rile you up. Your revolution will be seen as violent and dangerous if you punch him. People will think even less of you and you may even get in trouble with the law." Mois was the voice of reason.

Natsumi glared at Kululu.

"Now, as I was speaking," Kululu cleared his throat, "I have a proposition to make about the silver bloods. Let's discriminate against them even more! After all they don't deserve anything at all, their leeching off of us, the better people! Ku, ku, ku."

"How?" Someone asked, "How do we punish them for leeching off of us?"

"Easy! We cut off their ears!" Kululu grinned, "Ku, ku, ku. Their ears are the only thing that actually make them physically better than us, giving them faster reflexes, better hearing, giving them power over us...So I say we just chop them off. Severe all the ears!"

People clapped and cheered.

Natsumi turned pale at Kululu's suggestion. _He's evil. Pure evil. He's terrible._

"Oh...Pity. I don't see you two babies clapping." Kululu faked a frown at Mois and Natsumi, "Does the idea of seeing such silver blood sicken you? Are you not actually as nice as you both appear? But I thought the point of your revolution is that we're all the same! Silver, red, blood color doesn't matter! So shouldn't seeing so much silver blood not unsettle you? After all it's normal as you said. Ku, ku, ku."

Natsumi growled at him. "You're a monster. You're just the kind of red blood I want to fight against. You're the problem."

Kululu shrugged. "Maybe I like being a monster. But wait, I'm not the one who looks like a monster right now." He pointed to himself, "After all you're the one with a bare face. And boy, do you look terrible! Now I know why we have to wear masks, it's to prevent the atrocity of having to look at Natsumi's face!"

People giggled all around.

Natsumi clenched her fist. _I can't hurt him. It'll get me in trouble._ She reminded herself. "I'm proud of showing off my bare face. At least you can tell what I'm thinking. There's no reason to have such cagey privacy. You can see I'm an honest person, unlike you!"

Kululu faked hurt. "But I think I'm being pretty honest. What's dishonest about fighting for what I believe in? Ku, ku, ku. Sure my beliefs might be different than yours but it's still my beliefs."

"You're not fighting for any belief. You just want to prevent me from succeeding!" Natsumi yelled.

"Guilty as charged. Ku, ku, ku." Kululu laughed, "But you know I would never stand by and watch as you tried to change a society that I myself was happy about." He thought for a few moments. "Although I am a bit happy that you took off your mask, after all now I can openly mock how ugly you are as much as I want!"

Natsumi frowned. _I can take this. This is nothing. Don't let yourself be hurt by just words. You have better things to think about._ She reminded herself.

"I mean I guess I'd say something bad about your face, but it's just so average and boring. I mean your nose is a little pudgy and terrible and your eyes! Gack, they make me sick! Ku, ku, ku. So glad that people are smart enough not to take off their masks and turn into someone like you. I mean you're ugly! But I got to hand it to you, you're certainly brave to pull off that look and not hide away in shame. I mean if I looked like that I don't think I would survive."

Kululu was just a huge jerk.

Natsumi was shaking. She wasn't used to people making fun of her face or looks. That was one of the benefits of hiding away in a mask her whole life. She had never had to deal with this. None of the red blood's had.

And because of that she had no experience or strength pushing away doubts about her experience. Insecurity.

 _Crying would be even worse than punching him. Don't cry._ Natsumi reminded herself.

"Come on Natsumi, don't listen to him. He's an awful person. He's probably just taking out his anger on you." Mois tried to reassure Natsumi.

Kululu glared at her, "Got to hand it to you. At least you're not boring like your friend there. I'm glad she had enough common sense to not take off her mask and show off her terrible face."

"Thank you?" Mois didn't really understand that he was insulting her. She just thought it was a compliment about her common sense skills, of which she had none.

Kululu was slightly annoyed and went back to talking to Natsumi. "I have to hand it to Saburo though. He was totally right about how ugly you were. Man, I only heard stories about you and all the stupid things you did, but I guess it was true! I'm looking at a living breathing legend of ugly. Ku, ku, ku." Kululu openly mocked.

 _Saburo...Said I was ugly? He gossiped about me with Kululu of all people?_ She didn't really know what Saburo said about her, but she could suspect it was some horrible things. Despite herself she felt her eyes growing red as she tried to hold back tears. She hiccuped a small sob.

Kululu's smile grew larger as he saw that Natsumi was about to cry.

Mois let go of Natsumi's hand. But Natsumi no longer felt like punching him. _I just want to leave. I'm done. I don't want to hear this any more._

She turned around to gather Mois and leave, but Mois was nowhere to see.

 _CRACK!_

A loud sound echoed Natsumi's ears behind her. She turned around to see Mois on stage standing over Kululu who was cradling his cheek. Her hand was out because she had just slapped him.

"OW! You know, I could call the authorities on you, after all I believe the laws say that you can only have a peaceful revolution." Kululu grinned, "An act of violence makes it non-peaceful, putting you on the list of possible people who need to...disappear. Ku, ku, ku."

"That wasn't for the revolution." Mois said quickly, "That was to get you to stop talking."

"For $8000 dollars a month I will stop. But I doubt you could get me to quit it, babe." Kululu mockingly teased her.

Mois ignored him. "Throughout history fights have occurred between people and wars. People mock each other and hurt each other just like you and Natsumi do. But there has never been a fight between red blood and red blood. It's always been between people of two different blood colors." Mois lectured.

Kululu narrowed his eyes. "What does the history lesson have anything to do with me?"

"If you want to be more mature and gather attention from the crowd, I would suggest acting more like a red blood. Right now you are nothing like the red bloods of past or present. Fighting should not be between one of the same blood color."

 _That isn't going to get him to stop, Mois. He's a jerk. He doesn't care about his image!_ Natsumi thought to herself.

Kululu took a step back, looking at Mois for a good minute. "Fine." He agreed, "After all, I am somehow of amazing prestige. A red blood noble and I wouldn't want to drag my name down. But I won't give up on my organization." He looked like he believed her words and respected her lecture.

 _At least he has common sense._ Natsumi sighed.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you did the same thing you are lecturing me to stop. Fighting a red blood. Ku, ku, ku." Kululu grinned, "After all you just tried to injury me."

"You're wrong." Mois accused.

Kululu grinned, "Oh? So you aren't as violent as I gave you credit for."

"I didn't 'try'." Mois answered back sassily.

Kululu was silent for a moment. His cheek still stung and because of the amount of pressure she applied he couldn't put ice on it because of his mask in the way. "Ku, ku, ku. I may have been hasty in making an opinion of you. You aren't as boring as I first thought. In fact you look even a little fun. I'll enjoy riling you up in the future. Ku, ku, ku."

Mois jumped down from the stage over by Natsumi. "Come on, Natsumi. We're done here." She ignored Kululu's threats as if they were nothing.

Kululu looked annoyed again at being ignored. He was supposed to rile people up, not be ignored. "Fine, I'll report you! An act of violence is a big deal after all! And you aren't begging me to not. See you never, because soon you'll be dead. Your body will be mangled and bloody on the floor after a red blood assassin comes for you." It was obviously a pleaing threat of attention.

Mois glanced over again. "What proof do you have that I slapped you though?" She asked. "Witnesses? An innocent girl like me? You could say, did they see it?" She looked over at the crowd, "Are you all saying you'll report someone for slapping him?"

"We didn't see anything." They lied. They may have believed Kululu's message but he was a jerk and all of them kind of hoped he got what he deserved. All of them weren't on Kululu's side.

Kululu frowned.

"You could say, just seems unbelievable, you know?" Mois faked confusion. "And I don't remember ever doing something like that. I'm not the 'violent type'." Kululu could see the spark in her eyes. The lie.

She was totally the violent, dangerous type.

"And I mean...Are you going to show the injury? That's under your mask." Mois shook her head. "Kind of throwing away your own message."

Kululu frowned. She had outsmarted him. He couldn't do anything to her. "You must be one of those red blood noble's that kill silver blood's for fun in the neighboring counties." Kululu hypothesized. "After all you've definitely done this before. Lied to make sure you don't get prosecuted for violence. I can tell."

"You could say, pulling at straws?" She looked like she was having a lot more fun riling Kululu up now that he was the one suffering instead of Natsumi.

Kululu glared. "I'm not pulling at straws." He grinned, "I could see it. When you slapped me and now. That spark of enjoyment at the inhumane and despicable. You desired my destruction. To see my red blood body mangled and lying on the ground. You're just as monstrous as me." He accused. He wasn't even angry any more, he was just making an observation.

Mois ignored him. Kululu sighed. He'd have to scrap this conversation and put it away for later.

"Your friend makes a good point, Natsumi. I can't hurt you and you can't hurt me since we're both red blood's. But we're also enemies. So I suggest we settle our dispute the normal way. Ku, ku, ku."

Natsumi frowned. _T-the normal way?_ She felt queasy. The normal way to settle red blood arguments was to have two silver bloods fight against each other. Each red blood would sponsor a silver blood champion. Sometimes the fights were to the death.

 _That rat!_ Natsumi thought. He was using tradition against her. If she made a silver blood fight it would take away any validity of their revolution since that was what she was trying to prevent, silver blood's from being used. If she didn't agree Kululu would win and she'd look like a coward. If she fought herself it would be unfair to the silver blood.

"When?" Natsumi asked.

"Tomorrow night." Kululu replied. "Good luck finding a champion." He yawned, "Now I have to leave. I have several dates to go on. Ku, ku, ku. You of course are not invited."

He waved to several beautiful women, smiling a bit and leaving to entertain. He was quite a dislikable guy.

Natsumi didn't want to even think about what he was going to do at their houses. He was the exact same as Saburo. A terrible ladies man.

"Your friend was kind of a jerk." Mois whispered quietly.

"He's not my friend." Natsumi corrected.

Mois nodded. That made enough sense.

* * *

They were both stuck. They needed a silver blood because it would be unfair for a silver blood to have to fight a red blood, but they couldn't force a silver blood to be their champion against their will.

After explaining what the normal way was for red blood's to settle disputes and refusing to back down and look like a coward, Mois tried to voice suggestions.

"Maybe we could ask a nice silver blood for help! Do you have any silver blood friends?" Mois asked.

Natsumi wrinkled her nose. She did not. Maybe Keroro, but Keroro was terrible in a fight. That and he might have to die for them and that wasn't fair to Keroro.

"I'll ask Fuyuki for advice. He's sure to have some sort of idea what to do." Natsumi decided. Her brother always had reasonable advice and was a voice of reason. He was sure to have a solution to her problem.

Natsumi and Mois headed to the hotel Fuyuki and Momoka were staying at on their honeymoon. Knocking on the door, Natsumi waited for her brother to come out.

"Sorry, we don't need room service at the moment!" Fuyuki opened the door on a hurry. She noticed he was only really wearing a robe and his mask. It was probably the first time Natsumi had seen her brother wearing so little. She hadn't ever wanted to see that.

"Fuyuki! Come on! I'm waiting!" Momoka growled in the background, "I mean...Don't let me finish myself~." She said way too sexily.

 _La la la...I'm not listening!_ Natsumi covered her ears.

"Natsumi?" Fuyuki looked surprised and embarrassed, "What are you doing interrupting my honeymoon?"

"I needed your advice." Natsumi cut to the chase as Fuyuki closed the door behind him and stepped out into the hallway. She didn't want to be there any longer than needed to be. After all it looked like Fuyuki was quite busy. "You know about the revolution I started, right? The Wings?"

Fuyuki nodded. "Um...Sis...I love hearing about your stuff, but could you please put your mask back on? It's making me uncomfortable. I really should only be seeing Momoka's bare face. It'll probably make her jealous if I saw someone else."

Natsumi rolled her eyes. "Deal with it. I'm never putting my mask on again."

Fuyuki looked apologetic. "Yeah, I know about your revolution. It's all over the news."

"Well an opposition group has started against me. And I had to agree to settling our disputes in the normal way, pitying silver blood's against each other. But I don't want to force a silver blood to do anything against their will!" Natsumi frowned.

Fuyuki didn't look like he was really listening. He really wanted to go back into his room. "Uh-huh. Well, I'd love to help, but truth be told I don't support your revolution. We're treating the silver blood's fine. Me and Keroro are quite happy. I don't really see a problem."

Natsumi gasped and covered her mouth. _He's so ignorant! Even if he's good to silver blood's he still owns Keroro. And there are others who could exploit them to do terrible things._ "You...You aren't on my side?"

Fuyuki shook his head, apologetically. "You are my sister though and I do want to help you. So best I can offer is to give you Keroro for your fight. Would that help?"

Natsumi shook her head. _Keroro doesn't even get a choice if he agrees with this. Poor guy._ "I'll find someone else."

Fuyuki nodded and left. He had a honeymoon to continue.

* * *

 _The only other person who I can think might have some advice is Koyuki._ Natsumi didn't want Koyuki to feel like she had replaced her just because Koyuki didn't support the revolution so she didn't bring Mois along. Instead she went to Koyuki's hut in the woods to visit her friend.

Although Koyuki did have money she instead liked to live humbly with nature. She felt it was easier to do her work away from home if her home was just simple and small.

"Natsumi! What do I owe this visit to?" Koyuki hugged her friend as Natsumi walked in. She still looked slightly uncomfortable about the bare face thing, but she was accommodating. She didn't comment on it.

"I've gotten into a bit of trouble, Koyuki. And I was wondering if I could have your advice and help." Natsumi admitted.

"Of course." Koyuki nodded, her long pony tail bobbing as she nodded enthusiastically. "Sit down at the table next to Dororo. I'll get you some tea."  
Natsumi nodded and sat down next to Koyuki's silver blood and smiled. She and Dororo had a friendly relationship, nothing more than amicable. She hadn't talked to Dororo much in her life, but she liked him. He was kind.

 _He's Koyuki's pet too..._ Natsumi remembered seeing the black ribbon tied around Dororo's neck, symbolizing a collar. He had some personal fun with his collar though decorating it in flowers. It almost looked more like an accessory than a mark of Koyuki's ownership of him.

"Good day to you, Natsumi. I hope you'll enjoy Lady Koyuki's tea. She's trying a new recipe." Dororo told Natsumi. His eyes seemed to gleam and pointed to a flower pot. Apparently the recipe wasn't very good and possibly deadly. He was advising Natsumi to throw it out and not hurt Koyuki's feelings.

Natsumi nodded and winked at him. She had gotten his message.

Dororo looked a bit different than other silver bloods. Maybe he was like Keroro and happy with his conditions because he always looked quite lax. He dressed in the same sort of clothing that Koyuki did, a uniform for their job that was sleek and black and had some fishnet under it. He had long pink hair in a pony tail just like Koyuki did, they both had similar ribbons like they had equally brushed each others hair and cared for it like their own.

Natsumi could see the small tattoos on Dororo's hands, sky blue shuriken star things. They were the same color as his large blue eyes that always seemed to be friendly.

He had wolf ears that were very fluffy. The oddest thing about Dororo was the fact that he wore a mask too, just like red bloods. Although it didn't cover his eyes like most red blood masks, it covered his mouth.

Natsumi didn't understand why he wore it.

"I have to ask since I just threw aside my mask and no longer wear it...Why do you choose to wear a mask willingly? Do you like how it looks?" Natsumi asked, making conversation.

Dororo looked surprised by the question. "I wear a mask out of respect for lady Koyuki. After all, she is forced to wear a mask to conceal her feelings. And although she says she's fine with it, I can imagine that it could not be a fun ordeal to have to conceal all emotions to strangers. To not be able to look someone in the eye. So I wore one so she'd be less alone."

Natsumi smiled. _That's super sweet. But he's in a lesser position than her! Why is he pitying a red blood?_

"That and my mask looks cool." Dororo continued, smiling. "It's aesthetic."

Natsumi frowned. That was less of a sweet reason.

"You and Koyuki are good friends aren't you? Despite the fact that you're her pet and she owns you." Natsumi pointed out. She wondered if Dororo was receptive of her revolution or disliked it as much as Koyuki.

"Lady Koyuki and I are the best of friends. She is my most important person." Dororo spoke honestly. "She treats me like an equal despite our status. It's probably be because of our jobs. We have to trust each other. After all she assassinates the red blood's who go against the rules and I assassinate silver bloods. We're a team." Dororo grinned again proudly. "She taught me everything I know about how to kill."  
He looked quite proud.

"But do you ever feel uncomfortable about the fact that she owns you? That you're a pet instead of just her teammate."  
"It's the best we could have hoped for in this society. I would rather be Koyuki's pet than nothing to her at all." Dororo responded. "Even if people brand me as a pet I don't want to be away from her. So I'm okay with being owned."

 _That's so sad. He shouldn't have to be okay with that. He should be able to be Koyuki's friend honestly. Not her pet!_ Natsumi frowned.

"I brought the tea." Koyuki handed Dororo and Natsumi tea. When Koyuki wasn't looking Dororo dumped it in the plant.

The plant boiled away like the tea had been acid.

Natsumi paled.

"Delicious Lady Koyuki!" Dororo lied, "Ten stars yet again!"

Koyuki clapped. "Yay!" She almost hugged Dororo in happiness but stopped herself since Natsumi was watching, "So...Natsumi, what did you want to talk about?"

"I'm having a problem. There's an opposition group to my revolution who has challenged me to a fight between silver blood's. However I don't want to make an unwilling silver blood fight, but I have no silver blood to help me. What do I do?" Natsumi explained her problem.

Koyuki frowned. "Natsumi...You know I can't help you with your revolution. I'm not with it..."

Natsumi frowned.

"Maybe Giroro could help?" Dororo suggested. "After all, he wanted equality for red bloods and silver bloods and he likes to fight."

"He's dead." Natsumi reminded.

"No. He's not. I execute silver blood's and there's no order to kill Giroro." Dororo shrugged, "He was probably taken back down to the bottom of the city to be tortured."

Natsumi caught her breath. _He's alive?_ For some reason she was happy. Perhaps she could talk to him again.

"But I see why you couldn't ask for his help since he's a prisoner." Dororo thought again, "Perhaps I could help then. I could be your champion." He offered, "After all I support what you're doing. An equal world is a wonderful dream. I would like there to be peace..."

"No!" Koyuki said quickly grabbing Dororo's arm, "You can't fight for Natsumi!"

Dororo was quiet. He nodded. It was an order, he couldn't go against it. "I'm sorry. I guess I can't." He glanced at Natsumi.

Koyuki looked worried, and frightened, but calmed down once Dororo had refused. "Those things are usually to the death. I don't want you dying for Natsumi's revolution."

"I understand. If we were in a reversed position I would have probably requested the same of you." Dororo nodded, "I shouldn't be hasty with making decisions. After all it's not just my life that I need to think about."

 _Yes it is!_ Natsumi thought to herself, disappointed. Dororo would have been a great ally to have, but now he was gone.

Koyuki nodded. "Please leave, Natsumi. Dororo can't help you. Please find someone else."

Natsumi waved good-bye to her friend and left. It was too bad Koyuki was so stuck to the old ways.

* * *

"Remind me what we're doing, Natsumi?" Mois asked. It was dark and early morning. And either of them had yet to find a silver blood to fight.

Currently the two of them were in the deepest cellars of the underground city where only cells existed and locked rooms. Silver bloods that were not compliant were taken there to be tortured.

"Giroro's alive. And he's our only chance to win. I might have beaten him in a fight but he's tough." Natsumi told her. "I found where they're keeping him, the guards had to tell me because I'm the princess. We can break him out..."

Mois nodded. So Natsumi just wanted to help her friend. "Do you think he'll agree to help us?" She asked.

"I see no reason why he wouldn't." Natsumi shrugged, "After all, this helps him. I can probably convince him."

She approached Giroro's room and unlocked it with a key she had stolen. The door swung open.

There was a single chair in the room filled with straps to strap down the victim. Silver blood coated the floor. But there was no Giroro.

He had already left.

"I'm sorry." Mois put her hand on Natsumi's shoulder. "I think it's too late."

Natsumi didn't say anything as she looked at the silver blood. _He was taken away. It's too late. I couldn't save him._ She realized.

He was gone forever.

* * *

Natsumi's hopes were all gone ever since she had seen Giroro's blood. She had no silver blood to help her revolution. She didn't even try to look for one.

"Natsumi, we have to keep looking." Mois tried to encourage, "There's got to be one who wants to help!"

There was a knock at the door.

"You can answer it." Natsumi said as she laid on her couch looking up at the ceiling. "It's probably just someone who's angry with me."

Mois answered the door.

"Awww man, it's you!" Tamama frowned stomping his foot as he came in. "I was hoping I could talk to Natsumi, not someone as annoying as you."

"You know I'm a red blood, right?" Mois pointed out. She had never seen a silver blood insult a red blood before.

"Yeah. And I don't care. You're crap, woman." Tamama growled, "Hated you ever since you tripped over my body at that wedding. And might I remind you I was standing! How do you do that? How are you that clumsy?"

"I...I don't know." Mois answered.

Tamama pushed past Mois. "Natchi! Where are you?"  
Natsumi sat up. "What is it, Tamama?"

"I heard about your dilemma from Momoka's husband." Tamama smiled, "And I've decided to grace you with a solution. I'll fight for you, willingly." He grinned.

Natsumi's eyes widened. Someone was actually offering themselves to help? "Did Momoka order you to do this."  
"Nah, the only order she gave me was to occupy myself for the week because she had plans with Fuyuki and didn't want me bothering her." Tamama shrugged, "Truth be told I just want to help you. I want silver bloods to have more rights."

Natsumi smiled. A silver blood actually agreed with her? This was amazing. Things were turning around! "Why...?" She asked. "What made you change your mind?"

Tamama frowned and sat down next to Natsumi, lounging on the couch so Mois couldn't have a seat. "I...I think I know who my soul mate is. I mean I know it could also be just a crush but I'm certain he has to be my soul mate!" Tamama cried, "But I can't kiss him or be with him for a number of reasons. If the tattoo appeared on either of our bodies we would be killed. And I don't want that. I mean I don't want to betray Momoka by breaking the rules, but..."

"I want to be free to be with the person I love." Tamama admitted.

Natsumi put her hand on his and pat his back. _I understand. And I'll help you in any way I can._ "I'd be honored to have you fight with us. And someday we'll let it so silver bloods can have soul mates."

Tamama grinned wiping away his tears. "I'll make sure you win!"

Natsumi was so glad they had found their solution.

* * *

It was the time of the fight. Natsumi, Mois and Tamama had met up at the arena where most of the disputes were handled.

"Good luck." Natsumi told Tamama, "And I'm sorry I can't fight with you."

"You can do it!" Mois cheered.

"I don't need you cheering me on." Tamama glared, "I'm tough!"

"Ku. So I see you didn't chicken out at the last moment." Kululu laughed walking up to them. Saburo was by his side, he must have been his ally in this revolution.

Saburo's mask covered only half his face and was silver, it had feathers a bit like Natsumi's old mask.

"Where's your champion?" Natsumi asked.

"Behind that gate." Saburo pointed, "We had to order him to do this fight, but he's not too happy."

"Ku. All we know is you guys are going down. Prepare to eat dirt!" Kululu cackled. He and Saburo high-fived and went up to the seats.

Mois and Natsumi followed them, giving one last sad look to Tamama.

The bell chimed and the gate opened. Giroro walked out, he was shaking in anger forced to work for the red blood's.

 _Giroro._ Natsumi stood up. He was alive. "You're helping Kululu?" She asked angrily.

Giroro rolled away from one of Tamama's blows.

"Wish I wasn't. But anything's better than sitting around and rotting." Giroro hissed. Tamama was tough, he was good with martial arts, but Giroro was better.

He was stronger and tougher and despite all of Tamama's attempts to swing at him, to crush rubble at him, Giroro was faster and stronger. He was better.

Kululu made a severing noise with his finger, glaring at Natsumi.

Soon enough Tamama was laying on the ground, gasping for air. His legs were bruised and bloodied from all of Giroro's hits and he could no longer move.

"I win." Giroro glared.

 _No..._ Natsumi thought.

"Your silver blood won, fine." Natsumi frowned, "You're tougher than us. Just...Don't hurt Tamama. Let him go."

Saburo shook his head. "Usually the fights don't end until one of them dies." He glanced at Kululu, "So we'll wait until Giroro kills him."

"What...?" Tamama and Giroro looked up.

"I'm not killing him! He's a brat, but he's got potential!" Giroro yelled. "Just like you red bloods to be bloodthirsty and tasteless."

"Saburo's right. That's tradition after all." Kululu shrugged. He shared a look with Saburo.

"Kill Tamama, Giroro." Saburo ordered.

Giroro shook at the order. Natsumi could see his skin changing into a slightly pasty color, as if he was trying to defy the command and his blood was boiling like a pot of water.

He held onto his head as if trying to drown out the sound of the order, however his body was moving on it's own. His hand reached out to Tamama's throat as Tamama tried to squirm away.

Tamama was making pitiful cries. All he had wanted was a chance at love and now he would die for his wish.

"No! No! Don't!" Natsumi cried, but Giroro didn't listen. The only person who could get him to stop was now Saburo, who had given the order. Her authority wasn't stronger than Saburo's.

Mois shook her head. She wouldn't allow this to happen. _Tamama's sweet! He doesn't deserve this!_ She realized. She remained oblivious how he hated her.

She quickly ran down, kicking the lock down on the arena doors and trying to get in between Giroro and Tamama to separate them.

"Please don't make them kill each other. Tamama's a good person. He doesn't deserve this!" Mois begged. Giroro tried to push her aside.

"Nah, let him kill me. It's much better than being protected by you." Tamama hissed, "I don't want your pity woman!"

Mois tried again to plead. She put her hands together as if she was praying to Kululu and Saburo to get them to stop. "Please! I care about Tamama! He's good! Don't kill him."

"Weak people deserve to die. Silver blood or not." Kululu said simply. "It's just the way things are."

"Well things don't have to be that way! Why can't we protect the weak people? I want them to exist despite their weakness." Mois pleaded. She was crying as if for Tamama's sake.

"Don't call me weak!" Tamama hissed. Even though he was heavily injured he still tried to scratch at Mois, hating her more than his attacker, Giroro.

Kululu waited for Mois to stop pleading for Tamama's life after seeing how much he hated her, but she did not. _I may need to remedy my observations about her. Although her personality might be slightly deadly she's also a kind person. A kind idiot that is._ Her pleading seemed so honest and genuine though.

And she had only gotten mad at him before for Natsumi's sake. She was just that kind of person. _Interesting. I've never seen anything like this before._

Kululu leaned over to Saburo and whispered something for a moment. Saburo nodded.

"Fine. Giroro won't kill Tamama." Kululu offered, "If you'll do something for me."

"What would you like?" Mois breathed a sigh of relief. They were getting somewhere. Although she didn't like Kululu that much she was glad he had taken her offer.

"Spend the night with me in my manor." Kululu requested. "Ku, ku, ku."

"Nope! You can't do that!" Natsumi frowned, "You're a terrible person, you know that?" She glared at Kululu, "You're using this as leverage to make her have sex with you?"

Her poor friend. She was getting preyed upon by Kululu.

"Hey. I never said that. I want her as a prisoner! Nothing more, nothing less." Kululu corrected, "She's interesting. That silver blood clearly wants her out of the picture and doesn't want her help, but she's still offering it. It's pathetic in a way. I'd like to see if I can break her."

"I just think you're interested in her, honestly. That was the lamest way to ask someone out on a date." Saburo coughed under his breath, "Do I have to loan you my book on how to pick up chicks again?"

"Shut up. I want a prisoner. I'm like the evil leader of an opposition group. Not trying to get a date." Kululu corrected, he looked like he was annoyed by Saburo.

"Okay." Mois agreed, "I'll come home with you." She kind of thought the same thing as Natsumi and Saburo. She had seen how much Kululu liked to flirt with pretty girls, he clearly didn't want to break her or figure out how to get under her skin. She'd put up with it though if it helped Tamama.  
"Don't kill him, Giroro. Stop." Saburo ordered.

Kululu nodded and got out of his seat to retrieve Mois and Giroro. Saburo followed him.

"I can't believe you saved me. I hate this! Now I owe you a favor. Don't make me think this means I like you any better, woman!" Tamama glared. He was ungrateful.

Natsumi headed over to Giroro. She wanted to figure out if he would join her revolution.

"I suppose now that we used you for our fight we'll return you to the torture chamber." Saburo yawned looking at Giroro. "Thanks for your help."

Giroro glared, "I didn't want to help you." He ignored Natsumi. Right now he hated most of the red blood's equally for using him.

"Ku, before you go want me to reward you for helping us?" Kululu offered.

"Reward me? With what?" Giroro asked.

"Cutting off your ears. Ku, I promise that it'll benefit you-" Kululu was cut off by Giroro yelling in fear.

Giroro covered his ears. "I'll never let you do that. You monster! I'll die fighting you if you try."

Kululu pulled out a knife. Giroro looked frightened as he backed away.

 _He's testing his idea to severe the silver blood's ears to hurt them._ Natsumi realized. She had to stop this, she had to save Giroro.

Reaching into her pocket, she found a small ribbon that Koyuki had given her to symbolize their friendship. It was a deep crimson red. She quickly walked up to Giroro.

"You can't!" She yelled at Kululu. She pulled Giroro down to her before he could protest and tied a ribbon around his neck.

"How dare you-" Giroro tried to scratch the collar off, to pull it off.

"Don't take it off." Natsumi ordered. "It's for your own good. Don't worry, I have a plan." She whispered after giving the order. She felt bad for ordering him.

Giroro stopped pulling it off, his arms falling down to his sides weakly. A collar was on him. And it felt poisonous. Toxic.

"You can't hurt him. Because I hereby now am taking him as my silver blood. He'll be my pet. So you can't lay a finger on him. It's illegal to hurt someone else's pet and I'm the princess here so you can't go against my wishes. "Natsumi glared, holding onto Giroro's arm.

"I don't want to be a pet. You won't make me a pet, red-blood!" Giroro screamed.

"Giroro, quiet down. I'm trying to protect you from him." Natsumi whispered.

Something was odd about the red blood using his name, like they were friends. It made him feel closer to her than they were. An odd companionship.

 _Wait...Is she trying to protect me? To help me?_ Giroro wondered. He could feel her grip on his arm and it didn't feel possessive. It felt oddly protective like she was afraid for his sake.

He remembered when they had fought previously. She had made sure to respect him, she would only order him to do something if times were desperate. After all she hadn't even given him an order to save her brother's life.

 _She's disobeying her morals to save me?_ Giroro realized. He still hated the collar, but he supposed he could play along. A red blood had never treated him this way before.

"She's right. By the law, you can't touch me." Giroro hissed, "Because I belong to her. Natsumi." He spoke her name.

Kululu laughed for a moment. "You're perfect for each other. You're both idiots." He turned around, "Fine, have fun with your new pet. I'll be taking your friend. Equal trade off I suppose." Kululu shrugged. He grabbed Mois by the arm and dragged her away.

"Sorry." Natsumi apologized once Mois, Kululu and Saburo were gone.

"It's...Okay." Giroro forgave her. He understood why she had done it. "I just hope I can take off the collar soon. But thanks I suppose for saving my ears. Didn't think a red blood would stick out for me."

Natsumi smiled at him, "I need to talk to you. I have some things to catch you up on. You probably haven't heard about the revolution I started." She was excited to tell him what she had done for him.

She hoped he'd join her. That would really help.

* * *

 **Please review! Hope you are enjoying things.**


	3. Burning Hand

**My sister wanted me to update this fic. Uhh warning, sexual situations mentioned.**

 **Also I need to get better at writing my kissing scenes. Romance finally starts this chapter!**

* * *

Giroro listened to Natsumi's story of her revolution tentatively, although every now and then he reached up to scratch at the collar around his neck, increasingly uncomfortable by it.

He had vowed never to be collared, but here was this red blood sitting in front of him who had collared him.

 _Still...I can't bare to take it off._ Giroro thought to himself. Perhaps it was because the collar didn't symbolize what he usually thought of when he looked at collars of enslavement, but instead Natsumi's desire to protect him.

She was a strong warrior woman, and he couldn't deny that he admired her at least a little bit. She was cool, and emotionally strong, willing to fight for what she believed in.

If there was anyone that Giroro would have wanted as a companion, it would surprisingly be the red blood, Natsumi Hinata. There was no one Giroro would rather have as a friend. But he was her enemy and had tried to kill red bloods like her on several occasions.

"You can take that off." Natsumi told Giroro, reaching over to his neck and the collar. Her fingers grazed his neck for a moment and he bristled.

It wasn't an unpleasant bristle. It was mostly a surprised one. He had never had someone touch him so positively before and he had never welcomed a physical touch. Heck he had never desired it to continue or a hand to remain on him before.

 _Why would just a simple touch like this make me feel this way?_ Giroro could feel his cheeks get red in embarrassment as she carefully and gently untied the ribbon around Giroro's neck, throwing it to the floor.

He was honestly quite thankful that they were in Natsumi's house alone. He didn't want anyone else to see him this way.

"I'm sorry I had to do that to you. I know how horrible you feel about being collared. You didn't deserve to have that happen to you." Natsumi honestly looked like she was feeling guilty for her actions. Her face scrunched up in discomfort as she looked at her hands as if they had done a grave sin.

Giroro touched her forehead with a simple poke. He didn't know what kind of physical gestures were needed to reassure someone. He knew it had something to do with touch but he didn't know where. So he just did a forehead poke.

"It's okay." Giroro tried to sooth her, and reassure her that he wasn't mad. "I know you weren't trying to control me. You were just trying to save my life from that sick freak." Giroro growled as he thought about Kululu.

Natsumi nodded. _I can't believe he and Saburo would try to have Giroro kill Tamama!_ She knew Kululu was as sick of a freak as Giroro had implied. She tried to keep it out of her mind of all the horrible things Kululu might be doing to her innocent friend Mois who had been conned into spending the night with him. She tried not to let her worry show.

"So...What do you think of my revolution? I mean, I would love to get a silver bloods opinion on it, since it is for your sake." Natsumi smiled.

Giroro nodded. _I like seeing her face and smile._ He realized. It was more comforting than seeing her in a mask like all the other red bloods. Perhaps it made her feel real.

"You're not my enemy, Natsumi." Giroro admitted, "I may have tried to kill your brother-"

Natsumi glared at him. It was a glare that made Giroro instantly feel guilty about the attempt he had made on Fuyuki's life. And Fuyuki was just like all the rest of the red blood's.

"Which I'm super sorry about-" He never thought he would be apologizing for a red blood's pain before, but here he was.

 _Heh. This Natsumi girl is making me say and do things I never thought I'd ever do._ Giroro realized. She was changing him. And he wasn't exactly unhappy with the changes that she was making to him.

It made him feel more human, more real. He wasn't just a tortured pet of some red blood. He was just him. He could have real emotions.

"But you aren't my enemy." Giroro continued, "Your revolution however..."

Natsumi looked at him worriedly.

"It's not that I don't like it, I just don't think it'll work. Red blood's never accept change. That Kululu guy has already started an anti group against you that people are happily joining up." Giroro pointed out, "He outnumbers you, and with a non-violent peaceful revolution that goes by the books, nothing will change. So I don't believe in it and I don't think it's going anywhere." Giroro said bluntly, "I however believe in you and like you."

He tried to sooth the blow his words had implied.

Natsumi didn't know whether to smile because Giroro had said he believed in her or frown because he didn't believe in her revolution that she was pouring her heart and soul into.

 _I guess he'd know more about this sort of thing since he's a silver blood that actually lives through such terrible things._ Natsumi reminded herself.

"Thanks I guess?" Natsumi wasn't very sure to be thankful, "Anyway, what should we do about you? I now technically own you and the moment you're out on your own Kululu will spring on you and probably do terrible things to you..."

Giroro nodded. He didn't like Kululu much. "I guess I have to hide out here. I'm not too pleased about it, but hanging out with you is far better than being with him."

Natsumi nodded, agreeing with that almost instantly. "Let me patch up any wounds you got in that fight." She offered. Giroro looked bruised and scratched up from other sources...Probably the torture he had gone through.

He had probably never properly received medical attention in his life. She wanted to help him.

 _Maybe I can find him a shirt that can fit him too._ She thought to herself. It wasn't that she had a problem with seeing a guy shirtless or seeing Giroro shirtless, it was just she didn't want to start ogling him or anything. That would be an awkward start to a friendship she did want to form.

She suspected all of Fuyuki's old shirts would be too small for Giroro though. He was quite muscular.

Giroro gave a polite gruff nod, making a grunting sound. "I'll allow you to patch me up." He didn't seem to thankful, but Natsumi was just happy that he had allowed her into his life.

She quickly got some bandages, some disinfected and stitches. "This might hurt...I've never really patched anyone up besides me."

"Why would a red blood need patching up?" Giroro asked curiously as she disinfected a wound on his arm. His eyes sparkled in momentary pain but he didn't make a sound. He must have been used to pain far greater than this one.

"Got in a lot of fights. Didn't want the authorities to know I was beating up other red bloods." Natsumi grinned.

Giroro's eyes glinted in surprise and amusement. "You probably kicked their butts." He was proud of her.

"I did." Natsumi grinned.

Natsumi continued trying to patch up his wounds. Although she tried making light conversation, Giroro was content with just watching her in silence. He wasn't much of a conversation partner. If he spoke usually he had something important, or more likely angry to say.

His eyes softened as he saw Natsumi rove across his body, cleaning wounds and taping them up with bandages. He tried to maintain the proper amount of internal distance towards Natsumi, but he realized that he was slowly gaining a soft spot for the red blood.

He was rooting for Natsumi.

 _I might not believe in her revolution, but I don't want her to get hurt in it. I don't want her to die._ It was the first time Giroro had ever felt that a red blood was precious and he didn't want to kill a red blood.

It was the first time he hadn't wanted a red blood to die. A desire to protect someone else besides him.

He flexed his hand seeing if he could move it despite the bandages that she had put on. It was still flexible.

"I've always believed that the red bloods would fall out of power someday." Giroro admitted finally.

Natsumi glanced up at him surprised. "How?"

"There's rumors that there will be a silver blood uprising. I don't know if it's true or any silver bloods are trying to have one, but it's gotten me through the years. Kept me sane. It might be a false hope, but it's something I treasure." Giroro told her. "If there is a silver blood uprising, I hope you survive the massacre."

Natsumi lightly touched Giroro's shoulder. It really did seem like a false hope. All of the silver bloods seemed too afraid to make a move against the red bloods. Even with a red blood like Natsumi aiding them. "How would they beat the red bloods?" She finally asked, "We can control them with just an order."

Would they all just find their soul mates.

"This hasn't been the first time that somebody has been persecuted. There used to be three blood types." Giroro reminded her.

Natsumi's eyes widened. She hadn't listened much at school, but she remembered a bit about the purple bloods. They had lived long before the red blood's monarchy and been the previous ruling class. They had all been wiped out in a revolution. "I always thought the purple bloods were just a myth. A cautionary tale about not underestimating silver bloods." Natsumi spoke to herself.

Giroro shook his head. "Purple bloods lived long ago. They could control silver bloods, but they could also control red bloods. They were truly a different race from all three of us, instead of having animal ears or no features at all like you red bloods their blood caused them to live thousands of years of life. They were tyrannic dictators persecuting both the red bloods and the silver bloods." Giroro described.

"But we wiped them out." Natsumi finished the story. "We had a revolution and the red bloods and silver bloods, fighting together, rose up and destroyed them."

Giroro nodded. "Now they no longer exist. Purple bloods are a thing of the past. But it shows that it can happen again. That a lesser class can rise up and destroy a ruling class." His smile shined with hope, as if he truly believed the story.

Natsumi didn't know if she ever believed purple bloods had existed. They were extinct now and that was all that mattered. But the story seemed to really mean a lot to Giroro.

"If you led a silver blood revolution, would you kill us all?" Natsumi asked.

"Not you." Giroro said quietly, "I would be sure not to kill you."

Natsumi smiled. That was a sweet sentiment even if it involved killing others.

* * *

After she had patched Giroro up, Natsumi wandered around the house hoping to look for something she could use to momentarily entertain Giroro. Make him feel more human and less like a slave. Cheer him up.

Eventually she found a book she thought he would like in her brother's old library about war and fighting and stuff like that.

"You want to read this?" She popped over and asked, showing him the book.

"I can't read. Most silver bloods are never given the commodity of an education." Giroro admitted, "It's rare to find a silver blood who's literate."  
 _Ah...So that's why Keroro's so dumb._ Natsumi realized. And she had teased him for so many year about his stupidity. He looked like he could read at least a little bit, likely Fuyuki had taught him so he could rant.

Tamama however was clearly illiterate. Natsumi wondered with sickening dread how many silver bloods she had met that she had deemed dumb, but really they hadn't been given educations.

"Want me to read to you?" Natsumi asked, "I can teach you some of the words. I think you'll like the book, it's about wars and stuff like that. It's an adventure."  
Giroro was about to refuse but as he looked at how hopeful Natsumi was, he changed his mind. "I'd like that." He finally decided, gesturing to a seat on the couch.

It sounded embarrassing to have a red blood read to him, but for some reason the idea of being close to Natsumi didn't bother him. Instead he felt excited by it.

Natsumi scooted closer to him and snuggled into the couch comfortably. Giroro breathed a content sigh as he felt Natsumi lean against him.

"This is about a prince and princess who decide to go to war with each other and fight to the bitter end to protect their countries." Natsumi explained. Slowly she started reading.

Giroro hung onto and listened to every word.

Every now and then he would try to disprove something that happened in the book, explaining that torture wasn't really like this, and telling about his own life and giving Natsumi details about what sort of life he led.

She learned several things about the red blood in front of her. As a silver blood he had never really known his family, his parents had just been forced to breed for more slaves and silver bloods. He had been told that his parents had another child but he had only met him when he was a teenager.

Apparently he was in the same 'training' group as Keroro and Dororo had been in his youth. They were called training groups because silver bloods went to them to be broken and learn to do any order that a red blood might need.

"Because I looked like I might become strong I was put into a group that mostly learned how to lift things and do physical labor." Giroro tried to describe. "Keroro and Zeroro however...Were not as lucky. Keroro learned how to be a perfect little pet. I'm not sure about Zeroro...I've never seen a moment when he was happy."

Natsumi didn't know how to take parts of his stories. They were so repulsive and so sickening.

Eventually he came to the part where he decided to kill all red bloods. Apparently his brother who had also been trying to start a silver blood revolution had been killed in front of Giroro. That was the first time he had met his older brother and the last. He didn't even have the chance to learn his name. His brother had asked him to take on his quest and Giroro had promised too.

"I tried to do everything I could to be rebellious. Hurt any red blood at all. I was thrown into the underground torture chambers for re-education constantly. The torture I eventually learned to stand. The dehumanization and avoidance of people was a little worse." Giroro admitted.

"What was the worst time?" Natsumi asked. Giroro glanced at her, glad to finally be able to talk to someone about this and happy to have someone interested.

"I started hearing voices at one point. I'm not sure if I heard voices actually or if there was another silver blood in the cell next to me. I never met him. The voice or person was a despicable thing though. I think the way he coped with the torture was to ridicule and mock me in the cell next to him." Giroro admitted. "It made me feel terrible because I didn't want to hate a silver blood. I didn't want us to be as bad as the red bloods. But if he was real I really did hate him."

Natsumi wrapped her hand around Giroro's hand. Giroro's eyes widened at the gesture. He enjoyed it.

"You're safe now. I will never ever let you go back there." It was just a few words, but the words meant so much to Giroro. It was just a little reassurance that Natsumi would protect him.

And Giroro never thought he would feel like he needed to be protected, that he wanted to be protected by someone else, especially not a red blood. But he felt calm and safe with Natsumi's words.

"Thank you...Natsumi." His voice was soft when he said her name. There was a certain amount of fondness to her name.

It made Natsumi smile. It had never felt intimate to hear someone else call her name before. But Giroro saying the word 'Natsumi' just felt right.

 _What am I doing?_ Giroro realized his arm was around Natsumi's shoulder as he had been talking. He was cozening up to a red blood! _I can't be cozening up with her. Falling in love with a red blood would literally be the worst thing for me to do._ He couldn't fall for Natsumi's charms or be interested in her.

He kept telling this to himself, repeating it, but it didn't make any difference. He was still falling in love with Natsumi who would fight for the silver bloods. The sweet girl in front of him who had thrown away her mask to fight with him.

 _No! No! No! Stop this lovesickness. Don't do it, Giroro!_ Giroro pleaded with himself. But he was looking at her and gazing at her with such fondness.

He needed to change the subject from Natsumi. Make him less interested in her. "Why'd it take you so long to start a revolution like this?" Giroro asked, "Did you only realize about the silver bloods suffering recently?" _Darn, stop this...Don't be interested in her life._

Natsumi looked down. "I knew about it this whole time. I realized it all along that things were wrong. But I guess I just wanted to appear good and cool and like one of those terrible red bloods to win my fiance back. Well ex-fiance." Natsumi frowned, "We went through a horrible break up and I hate to say it but it put me in a rut for five years."

"Ex-fiance?" Giroro didn't know she had been engaged.

"Yeah. I was super in love with him. I was trying to do everything I could to impress him when I was younger like a shallow terrible person and I'm sorry." Natsumi admitted, "I loved him so much but it turns out he was terrible."

"What did he do?" Giroro asked almost curiously.

"I was cowardly. I deserved it. I wasn't being true to myself, just trying to impress him. But eventually I realized he was cheating with me. I had heard rumors that he was a big womanizer and flirt, but I never thought he actually did those things. I mean he was engaged to me..." Natsumi wasn't used to not wearing a mask, having to hide her emotions, so her face was wet with tears.

Her hands were shaking emotionally. She hated remembering. She hated the images of knocking on her fiance's door and discovering him with not just one girl, but three at the same time. The only thing remaining of their clothes were their masks.

She had never burned the image out of her head.

"Why did you guys get engaged if he was so terrible?" Giroro asked. "Seems like he should have been satisfied with you. If you love someone you don't cheat on them and you're worth more than that." He tried to comfort.

Natsumi nodded a tiny bit. "It was an arranged marriage just like Fuyuki and Momoka's. The people who you tried to kill at their wedding?" Natsumi reminded, "Fuyuki was paired with the richest girl in the world. I was paired with a duke who was cool and popular. You've met him. His name was Saburo." Natsumi hated whispering Saburo's name.

Giroro hit the table with his fist. "Saburo!" The guy who had ordered him to kill someone and was Kululu's terrible friend. He had already hated him but now there were even more reasons to dislike the guy. "I knew he was terrible!"

Natsumi giggled for a moment. Her giggles faded away to a stiffed sob as she cried into her hands.

She still wasn't really over it. She knew she and Saburo hadn't been soul mates. After all they had kissed and there had never been a soul mark, but she had really loved him. _More importantly what was so wrong about me that he cheated on me?_ What she felt terrible about the most was that even after five years she was bitter about their break up even though she herself had cut him off and dumped him.

Giroro didn't know what to do about her crying. He at first pat her back. "There, there?" He didn't know how to comfort people.

She just cried louder. "What was so wrong with me that he had to cheat on me? That I felt like I couldn't be myself with him?" Natsumi asked, "Why do break ups hurt for so long?"

Giroro didn't know. As a wanted attempted murderer he hadn't had any opportunity to go on dates. Silver bloods weren't allowed to date.

Giroro gave a small sigh and grabbed Natsumi by the waist. He slowly pulled her onto his lap so he could hold her, perhaps dry her tears.

Natsumi's crying faded away as she slowly let Giroro hold her on his lap. He awkwardly pulled her into a tight hug.

"That was red blood was a jerk. You were better than him. You were much better than him." Giroro told her, his voice calm and soothing.

Natsumi nodded, listening to his reassuring words. Right now she was just running on emotions. Usually she wasn't so ashamed about Saburo because she had a mask to hide her tears. He had never seen her cry over him. But Giroro...Giroro had seen her cry. He was the first ever.

Natsumi wasn't thinking much. She was just thinking on emotion. And right now her emotions were lonely. She didn't really know what she was doing or why, but she reached up to Giroro's back to hug him back, so that he could hold her better.

Giroro repositioned his knees so he was more comfortable. _I guess this weird arm thing is how people comfort each other._ Giroro noted, unaware it was called a hug. He liked it, it was comforting.

Natsumi wasn't slow about her next move, her face wet with tears. Instead she wasn't thinking and moved on instinct and accident. She smashed her lips into Giroro's lips as if begging him for comfort.

She wasn't being very smart. She wasn't even thinking. It had been a true accident, kissing him, she hadn't planned on it. She just wanted to be held by him more, and closer. She wanted Saburo to be wiped from her mind.

Giroro was shocked at first as Natsumi sat on his lap and kissed him forcefully. He didn't push her off though and it wasn't because she was a red blood and could stop him from pushing her off, it was because that weird lip thing felt good. _This is a kiss._ Giroro knew what this one was. He had been told not to do it because of the soul marks in society.

And he loved doing things that he was told not to do. He quickly held her tighter, his hand resting on her back as he clutched her desperately and her hands tightened in his hair. He kissed her back.

 _Guess I threw away that dumb plan to not fall in love with a red blood, huh?_ Giroro thought to himself. It was a good thing Natsumi was so attractive, so beautiful, and someone he admired so much. Because he was totally head over heels for her. It was too late. He was enjoying this too much.

Natsumi pulled herself slightly above him to kiss him more, touching him as much as she wanted. Her tears dried, desperate for the physical comfort and very happy with this kiss, she very much liked it.

Giroro grinned as he kissed her back, her lips inching off of his every few moments to breathe until she was back on him. It wasn't very much like just one kiss, it was a full make out session.

"W-what am I doing?" Natsumi finally asked, pulling away and realizing what she was doing. "I am so so sorry! I do not know what came over me. Actually I do know what came over me, I was being dumb and trying to get physical comfort and I threw myself at the first person around- which happened to be you."

Giroro grinned. He didn't mind. "You probably shouldn't do that again." He advised just for good measure, "I don't want you to be tethered to a criminal. You're better than that Saburo guy and you're better than me." He didn't know how to react to physical attention. He had never gotten it in his life.

His hands rested briefly on her thighs, making no movements to push her off. He noticed that his hand felt some sort of burning sensation, and it wasn't his palms from touching her bare skin.

"Owww..." Natsumi shook her left hand and looked down at it. Her hand was burning too.

 _Oh it's nothing. Just some weird tattoo._ Natsumi thought to herself. Her eyes widened as she looked at the weird tattoo again- a red skull mark.

She had never gotten a tattoo and it was burning and glowing like it was new. She recognized it, feeling as if it had burned into her hand.

Giroro looked at his left hand. The same tattoo was there. "Hey...Hey wait a minute this is..."

"A soul mark." Natsumi realized with horror. She had just kissed Giroro out of an accidental fling and desperation.

 _That's why I was so attracted to him and obsessed with the thought of him...Giroro...Giroro is my soul mate!_ Natsumi realized. But he was a silver blood...That didn't make sense. A silver blood and red blood couldn't be soul mates. It had never been recorded before.

Giroro grinned with affection as he looked down at his soul mark. _Yess...It's barely been two hours of realizing I'm in love with Natsumi and we're already soul mates!_ Romance went fast when he was allowed it. How lucky was he? Giroro glanced at his soul mark and then Natsumi.

Geez he was so happy. He loved her so much. _I can see it. She looks exactly like what a soul mate of mine would be._ He never thought he of all people, a criminal silver blood, would have a soul mate. And the red blood princess at that! And soul mates meant mutuality!

"I...I can't believe it..." Natsumi fell off of Giroro's lap in horror. She might have started a revolution to save the silver bloods and red bloods and made them equal but being soul mates with a silver blood was forbidden.

This was illegal. Giroro would be killed.

"This can't be...But I'm a red blood and you're a silver blood..." Natsumi pointed out, "We can't do this..."

"I knew my soul mate would be someone as strong as you!" Giroro wasn't horrified in the least bit, he was just talking aloud, proclaiming how happy he was. "And now that I have a soul mate that means I'm free from being ordered around by anyone but you!" Giroro felt truly strong for once. No other red blood would be able to order him around.

He was finally free.

"That means I can kill the red bloods and they can't stop me! They won't be able to protect themselves!" Giroro laughed loudly. He had so many evil terrible schemes. He just laughed and laughed.

Natsumi shivered. She had created a monster. "Don't...Don't kill anybody!" Natsumi ordered quickly.

Giroro glared but he was forced to. Natsumi's orders were the only that he could follow and now that she was the only one who could control him, he was fine with that.

"And stay here...I need to figure this out." She was shaking. "Hide in my house. I don't want you killed cuz of this. It was just a mistake. That kiss was an honest mistake." Natsumi was shivering.

Giroro grinned. _Was not. We're soul mates._ He thought happily to himself. That was all right. He could stay in the house and look at his new tattoo with happiness.

He had never had the opportunity to be a romantic before, but he was so happy about finding his soul mate. He felt like he was melting.

 _Screw everything else. I just want to kiss Natsumi again._ He thought to himself.

* * *

Natsumi went upstairs to take a long bath, hoping to wash her tattoo off. Maybe if she scrubbed hard enough it would disappear.

"You want me to come with you?" Giroro offered, "I mean...Maybe we should start doing more things together...Since we are soul mates."  
"NO!" Natsumi said quickly as she left and slammed the door to the bathroom shut. She quickly got undressed and soaked herself in the hot water.

The water was calming, but Natsumi's mind was still ablaze with her own misdeeds and thoughts of Giroro and the soul mate bond between them.

 _I should have known. I shouldn't have kissed him._ Kissing a silver blood...Who the heck had ever done that?

Probably nobody. How could she be so impulsive?

 _Maybe I can ask Fuyuki about the soul mate bond since he's researching all of that._ She knew it was rare to find a soul mate and she should have counted herself lucky, but she couldn't think properly. She was just frightened.

Silver bloods and red bloods had never been soul mates before. It wasn't meant to happen.

 _Wait...Does this mean Giroro and I are going to fall in love someday?_ Natsumi realized. If they were soul mates it was bound to happen.

Usually when people kissed in her society they were already in love. They didn't have to ask themselves these questions because they hadn't kissed anyone because of their impulsive hormones.

Natsumi started blushing to herself. Giroro and her falling in love? She hadn't ever been in love with someone besides Saburo. But she could feel herself getting embarrassed and frazzled by the idea.

She knew Giroro was probably going through the same thoughts as her but for some reason all he seemed was happy, smiling and just happy to be with her. It was sweet but also embarrassing.

He was more affectionate than she ever would have imagined. Who would have ever thought that the terrible criminal Giroro would have been a sappy romantic under all his macho attitude? It was kind of funny. It was a Giroro only she had seen.

She quickly got dressed and went downstairs to talk to Giroro.

"We...We should hide the tattoos for now." Natsumi told him.

"Awww..." Giroro groaned, "But I'm so proud of it. I want to show it off."

Natsumi glared at him and gave him one glove. She would wear one too. "If somebody sees that we're soul mates, you'll definitely be killed."

"How romantic." Giroro said to himself. So their love was the sort of life or death scenario and they had to hide it!

Natsumi rolled her eyes. He was way too overjoyed about this soul mate bond.

"You know, Natsumi...If you're so worried about a world where we can't be together maybe we should just run away from all this. You know, run away together." Giroro suggested, "We can live happily in some forest or in a cave fighting giant beasts to survive!" His ears perked up in excitement.

"What about the revolution? What about your dreams for freedom from the red bloods? The silver blood uprising?" Natsumi reminded.

"Oh yeah..." Giroro had forgotten. Natsumi had just taken over his entire mind. "Hmmmm..." He looked conflicted, "We can do that later!"

Natsumi groaned. "I want to talk to Mois. She'd know what to do." Mois might not have common sense, but at least she would be more helpful than Giroro who was now only in sappy romantic world. Not that she minded him holding her hand.

 _Darn soul mate bond making him so attractive! He's just an affectionate person now!_ Natsumi groaned to herself. She had to pull them out of the mess that she had created.

She wished Giroro could be more serious.

She knew that she was now in a risky life or death situation, but she still felt Mois probably was having a worse night than her.

* * *

 _So...He wants to sleep with me._ Mois thought to herself with dread. She didn't really like Kululu, but Natsumi had warned her several times about Kululu's womanizing. She said that Kululu was seductive but neither Mois or Natsumi could figure out how.

He was pretty ugly and despicable looking. The only part of his body that could have been really seen was his mouth, that was in a twisted smirk and his messy purple hair. He didn't treat himself with as high of dignity as Mois or Natsumi. He didn't appear like he had much of a high class for his body besides his clothes.

Kululu however was just glancing at Mois every now and then as he brought her to his house.

 _Does he like me? Hate me?_ Mois wondered. She had slapped him and stopped him from killing Tamama, something that he had told her on their trip was 'such a foul kind act,' but at the same time his glasses glinted with interest in her.

Kululu opened the door to his house. Instead of rushing her off to his bedroom, he immediately sat down to play his piano.

"Umm...What?" Mois asked.

"I'm going to play some music! Ku, ku, ku. You are going to regret the day you entered my house." Kululu laughed.

And he began to play. His skills with playing the piano were great, his hands moved fast, but his voice...His voice was shaky and hurtful.

And he sung phantom of the opera as creepily as he could. It was like he was purposefully trying to annoy her and creep her out.

"The phantom of the opera is there inside your mind!" Kululu sung off key, laughing. "Come on, Mois~, you have to sit with me." He tapped on the seat next to him.

Mois to her intense discomfort sat as her eyes twitched. She was glad she was wearing a mask so he couldn't see how weirded out she was.

 _What is going on?_ He was completely different than he was outside. Instead of being creepy and violent, he was just weird. Just plain weird.

Mois didn't understand anything at all that was going on.

Mois sat through his song patiently. When Kululu realized she wasn't going to yell at him or chew him out, he sighed.

"Well that was boring." He took out a small explosive.

"That's not big enough to kill a person." Mois advised, "If you brought me here to kill me I'd go with something with more horsepower."

Kululu looked interested at what she had said, glancing at the explosive in his hand and Mois. He tossed the explosive at the piano. "I wasn't going to kill you. I made that to blow that thing up."

The piano exploded dramatically and with a lot of firepower. Mois didn't seem that scared or distressed. She just pulled out an umbrella from an umbrella rack so she wouldn't be burned.

"Ku, ku, ku." Kululu looked at her with increasing interest at just how easy going she was at an explosion. Yet another thing interesting about this stranger.

"I don't understand." Mois admitted, "Why did you blow up the piano? I thought that was yours."

"I bought it just to play a song to creep someone out. It failed it's purpose so I disposed of it." Kululu shrugged, "It bores me now. It doesn't interest me. But what does interest me is you." He stepped forward and reached over to her, placing his hand on the small of her back so she couldn't rush off.

Mois didn't look frightened. Instead she met his gaze. "What about me?"

"You know quite a lot about explosives, and you're barely phased by them. I haven't met anyone like that." Kululu grinned.

"Probably know a lot more about them than you." Mois snarked.

Kululu twitched in a grin again. _Oh yes...She's definitely interesting._

"I've looked up quite a bit about you, you know before I invited you here." Kululu admitted, "What's the saying, keep your friends close-"

"You could say, keep your enemies closer?" Mois finished. She agreed with that.

Kululu smiled again. Yet again they were on the same wavelength. "Usually they tell people to wait till the third date to finish each others sentences."

"This isn't a date. I thought I was your prisoner." Mois reminded.

"Couldn't agree more." She was keeping him on his toes. Kululu smiled.

"After you hit me in the square I decided to look up everything I could about you, find your weakness, your strengths, use them to benefit me...That sort of thing. Ku, ku, ku." Kululu continued, "You interested me and I'm the curious type who learns what I want. I hoard my knowledge. However, I couldn't find much about you besides your current residence and name."

"I guess you could say, you failed completely then?" Mois smiled.

Kululu glanced at her, "You're living in a manor with your friend Asami at the moment, a high noble in this province. You're a foreigner from another country, or at least that's what you said. But here's the funny thing, I looked in every country's database and I couldn't find anything...Anything at all about you. Ku, ku, ku. Mois just simply doesn't exist in the databases."  
Mois didn't shiver or look scared. "So?"

"This lead me to believe two things about you. Either you deleted your information yourself, or there's something deeper about your story. Ku, ku, ku. But it doesn't bother me." Kululu shrugged, "After all, I don't exist in very many databases either. And I'm not a hypocrite."

 _You could say, olive branch of friendship?_ Mois wondered if he was offering this information to her as a sign that they weren't so different, in hopes of gaining her trust.

She didn't try to fight back against what Kululu was offering, instead she accepted his small bit of information about himself.

His hand hadn't left her back. She knew it was to keep her there, but she wasn't making any effort to struggle. Instead she looked up at Kululu for once really looking at him. Not as her friend Natsumi's enemy but a possible friend.

After all he was offering her a small bit of kindness. And that small bit of kindness was more than she ever thought would happen from Kululu.

"Where are you from? Where are you really from?" Kululu asked, his eyes burned into her as he was trying to figure her out like a puzzle. Things he didn't know bothered him. He had to learn.

"Just a country." Mois told him.

"Very specific." Kululu smiled.

"Do I have any reason to tell you? Is there any connection between us at all besides a few conversations?" Mois pointed out, "We haven't been on exactly good terms. Maybe I don't feel that close to you to solve the mystery you so desperately want to know."

Kululu looked annoyed by this answer. _But I want to know!_ He slammed her against the wall, not hard enough to hurt her, but just so she couldn't get away even more.

Mois didn't shy away.

"Maybe I could fix that." Kululu flirted.

 _Ah, yeah...This is what Natsumi was warning about._ Mois sighed. And the conversation had been so interesting before that! Now he was flirting with her and she was alone only able to survive with her wits.

"You're quite attractive, you know." Kululu grinned, he wasn't holding onto her any longer, hypothetically speaking she could duck under his arms and escape this awkward encounter. "Perhaps I'll let you join the collection of the girls who fawn over me."

Mois rolled her eyes. "Why are you so interested in me? I almost feel like you're the one fawning over me. Not the other way around." She accused.

Kululu seemed startled by this accusation. Usually people were swooning over him by this point. He was so startled and awkward he pulled his arms away from the wall, trying to calm himself and figure out what to say.

She didn't leave, she just patiently waited for an answer. Why was he so interested in her?

"It's...It's because I feel like we're like minded." Kululu finally admitted.

"How?" Mois was confused. All Kululu had been was a jerk up to this point. Did that mean he thought she was a jerk?

"You might have saved that silver blood called Tamama, but that was because he was your champion. Not because you cared about his life. I can promise you if Tamama had won you would have ordered him to kill Giroro. I could see it in your eyes. I mean yeah there was a lot of sparkly innocence in them, but there was a hint of something more...Something sinister." Kululu explained. "And then when you slapped me, you didn't look like you cared anything for my life. You only care about the people close to you. And sure you care a lot! Like a ton that it's almost intimidating, but I can tell...Let's call it a sixth sense...That you're a murderer and don't care about life at all." His glasses glinted a bit again.

So that was what he called like minded. He offered his arm to her.

She took it, to let him continue his thought. He led her to another room, a basement in his house.

She didn't see much besides the fact that it was dark. Eventually her eyes adjusted and she saw a body in it, the dried up red blood of a man. It had been cut up and the guts were spilled everywhere. It wasn't a clean murder.

But Kululu was clearly showing off what he had done. She wondered briefly if he had told anyone else. She doubted he told his other girlfriends.

"What did he do?" Mois asked, wondering what Kululu's motive for the murder was. After all it was a red blood, red blood on red blood crime was illegal.

"I just didn't like him." Kululu was about as specific as Mois. "Ku, ku, ku." He looked at Mois's face trying to inspect it. Although her mask covered everything except her mouth he could see a little emotion inching on her mouth and it wasn't fear. Perhaps it was a little bit of interest?

Kululu grinned to himself. He knew he had made the right choice to confide in her. He had never met anyone with as many murderous tendencies as him. "What do you think?"

Mois inspected the body again. Her hands hadn't left Kululu's arms as he escorted her. "A bit messy, and in your sort of society its better to hide this sort of thing better so that the evidence can't point back to you."

Kululu shrugged, "It's my murder chamber. And I have perfect security. I'm a genius." He looked at her again, "You really don't have a problem with it." He had only had a suspicion that she was fine with this sort of stuff but now it was confirmed.

"Do you show all your dates a dead body to test them?" Mois teased.

Kululu shook his head. "Just you."

"Boy do I feel special." Mois sarcastically giggled.

"I knew we were like minded. See? You shouldn't be hanging out with a goody two shoes like that Natsumi girl." Kululu pointed out.

Mois frowned. It might have been true that she had no problem with death or murder or blood or guts or things like this, but she wouldn't listen to Kululu insult her friends. She cared about her friend. "I am nothing like you, Kululu, so please don't confuse things. I want to be on Natsumi's side. I believe in what she's fighting for."

Kululu grinned and laughed wickedly to himself. _Well I'm going to break that. I'll get her to admit we're like minded whether she likes it or not._

And the best way he could imagine getting people to like them was to seduce them. Despite the fact that he had made a promise to Natsumi that Mois was just his prisoner and he would not sleep with her, he was a jerk and had a good track record of never keeping promises.

Kululu's hands slid down Mois's arm, no longer acting like a gentleman and sliding down her waist. He tried to pick her up and was eventually able to carry her.

Mois knew exactly where he was taking her.

"You do know where we're going and where this night will end, ku, ku, ku?" Kululu asked.

Mois frowned.

"I've never done it with a murderer. This should be fun." Kululu teased again. His lips didn't move towards her as he carried her off to his room, but Mois knew what was going to happen and what Kululu was going to suggest to do. She held onto Kululu's neck so he wouldn't drop her.

 _I could probably leave if I want._ Mois realized. But Kululu's words were in her head still. That they were like minded. Was that how Kululu did it and actually got women? Did he bond over common interests?

Geez he was good. And Mois was a slave to that technique. _Darn it! I'm not going to refuse aren't I?_

Kululu dropped Mois onto his bed and approached her, his hands roving yet again around her dress.

"Fine! Fine! You got me!" Mois admitted suddenly frightened realizing exactly what was going to happen as he fiddled around the back of her dress. He hadn't removed anything, he was just teasing. "I have tons and I mean tons of plans to murder lots of people! I have no problem with killing, I enjoy it! I'm not a nice person, I love things like natural disasters and when people are panicking about them I think they're cool!" Mois just nervously started chattering and confessing.

Kululu looked at her shocked for a moment. He hadn't expected all of those confessions. Just the murdering one. _Natural disasters, huh? That's cute._

"I like cataloging and researching earthquakes! I like lots of bad things! Sometimes I collect bones of people!" Mois just kept on confessing.

Kululu sat in front of her on the bed. He had gotten exactly what he wanted. He hadn't actually planned on sleeping with her, but he wanted these golden confessions. _We are alike._ He was pleased. Now she couldn't deny it. And some of her interests were super cute.

"I like cute animals and ice cream! But I'd love more than anything to kill people with those cute animals by my side and then eat the ice cream after someone dies! Death doesn't bother me at all!" Mois cried, "I'm a problematic person."

"There, there." Kululu pat her back, "I'm a jerk too. As soon as you accept it you can have all the more fun. Glad you've come to the dark side, Mois." And he really was glad.

"And you're a terrible person! Why are you encouraging this?" Mois asked.

"Ku. I like people giving into their wicked desires." Kululu cackled.

"Fine." Mois was no longer nervous or panicking, "I'm terrible, you're terrible, I've accepted it. I guess now I can finally have a bit of fun."

They had come into the bedroom for a reason. And now that she was fine with Kululu knowing her true personality she really didn't have a problem with doing something with him. He was kind of cute in a weird, creepy sort of way.

And now she kind of wanted to sleep with him anyway. It was dirty and terrible, but she no longer needed to conceal her terrible desires. She could be free with them.

"...Umm...Fun...? What are you talking about, Mois?" Kululu was unaware of anything going in through what he thought was the innocent girl's head.

Mois crawled closer to him. He moved backwards and hit the wall. She started unbuttoning his shirt, her hands stroking his chest and playing with his buttons, her mouth moving towards his collar so she could pull it down and kiss his neck.

"It's cute that you're like this, you know! You don't have to be worried about being a hardcore murderer." Kululu tried to make conversation having no idea what was happening. Why were her hands in his hair and why was she so close to him, and her hands were slowly inching towards his pants.

 _...Oh...That's what's happening._ Kululu realized.

"Why thank you! I'm glad you think I'm cute." Mois giggled. She was no longer shy.

She was way more forward than him. Less ditzy, just full on forward.

"Uhhh." Kululu grabbed Mois's hand before she could do anything. He gulped as he sort of fell off the bed. "I didn't expect any of this to actually work and seduce you!" He confessed, "Usually I creep out women by this point and they're just so ashamed that they tell everybody else that they slept with me because they don't want anyone to learn how jerked around they were!" It was a loud awkward confession.

Mois couldn't see Kululu's face from his mask, it hadn't even almost fallen off a little bit, but she could tell he was probably blushing underneath the mask. She was shocked for a moment.

"Wait...Wait a minute...You aren't actually a womanizer? You weren't actually trying to seduce me?" But she thought he had been so good...Bonding over common interests. Was it just an accident? Was that why he hadn't unzipped his dress.

"Nope. I didn't expect you to be so horny." Kululu quickly fixed his shirt before she could see any of his skin. She didn't understand what the problem was.

"Hey, I wasn't...! Wait, are you a virgin?" Was that why Kululu was so embarrassed, he never thought it would go so far? She felt herself blushing.

"Uhh...Well, it sure is getting late!" Kululu checked the watch he didn't have. "...Don't tell anyone. Please." He begged.

Mois just sat on his bed stunned. _I guess this is like some super Grade A blackmail that he doesn't want getting out._ She could understand that. It ruined his whole womanizer reputation. Despite her embarrassment that she out of probably hundreds of women that Kululu had tried to seduce, had actually been seduced she still giggled a bit.

"And before you say you can fix that I'm not interested. I'm not comfortable with that. I don't want to." Kululu glared at her. He was a little worried she'd suggest doing it anyway since in his mind she was now the horniest person he had ever met. She was the only person who had been seduced despite all his creepy attempts to unseduce her.

"I won't. I'm not going to do anything you aren't comfortable with." Mois sat on the bed comfortably. "And I won't tell anyone."  
Kululu breathed a sigh of relief. He glared at her again. _Darn this. A terrible murderer but she's still innocent. Why does she have to be kind and understanding about this? I thought I was like her enemy and she hated me and now she's helping me out?_ He was slightly annoyed.

"I'm just a little confused. Why try to appear like a womanizer if you aren't one at all?" Mois asked. Even Natsumi was fooled.

"...Saburo's one." Kululu didn't give any more information besides that. He just wanted to be like his friend.

Mois gave a small smile. Maybe they were more alike than she gave them credit for. After all they both wanted to be like and please others.

"I invited you here for the night to just make you into an ally. Not to sleep with you!" Kululu explained again, "I can't believe you were so horny..."

Mois glared at him. "I was not!"

"I guess you're here to stay for the night though." Kululu sighed. Maybe he could distract her from this embarrassing mishap. He stood up, "Come with me. I have something else to show you."

Mois nodded.

* * *

He took her to the library and plopped down a bunch of books as bribery.

"I intend to bribe you with everything I have to not tell anyone I'm a virgin. Ku, ku, ku. The first of the bribes will be all these books on earthquakes." He grinned proudly to himself, "You said you liked that sort of thing."

Mois's smile brightened. She immediately started reading.

"The second of the bribes will be good food. I make some dang good curry and I promise you'll like it." He was just acting like a good host now.

"I'm not going to tell anyone. And thank you, Kululu." Mois smiled.

Kululu smiled back. He then stopped himself from smiling. He wasn't an idiot. He wasn't going to be pulled in by her niceness.

Mois spent the night and whole day with Kululu. Eventually after she was done reading they traded funny stories with each other, honestly trying to bond as almost friends. It was fun to snark with someone else.

She finished the day by watching Kululu make inventions, handing him some things and trying to learn more about his hobbies. It was honestly pretty fun.

 _Maybe he could be a friend. Not an ally, but a friend._ Mois never thought she would think that Kululu could be a friend of all people. He was a jerk, but she honestly enjoyed the time they had spent together.

"Well, I guess your time as my prisoner is up." Kululu realized, "You should be going back to your real keeper- Natsumi. But now that you've seen how amazing I am I'm sure you'll come back. Ku, ku, ku."  
"I still think you're a bad person, you know." Mois reminded him, "After all you want to hurt silver bloods so much. You really are terrible." She didn't want to be too mean when insulting him. She just expressed her honest feelings.

Kululu grinned proudly. "I know. But I'm not looking for you to think I'm not terrible. After all I don't want another best friend in my life or a friend. I'm not even looking for a girlfriend in you. I'm just looking for another terrible person in my life and I thought we could be awful people together. Ku, ku, ku."

Mois was about to respond when there was a dinging noise. "Oooh the cookies are ready!" She clapped at the cookies she had made in Kululu's oven. She had quickly made herself at home in Kululu's house.

Kululu glanced at her and snickered to himself. "You're too cute to be a terrible person though, I suppose." What kind of person who made cookies for their captor was a terrible person?

Mois might have been half terrible and half innocent.

Maybe she wasn't as terrible as he had given her credit for. But she definitely wasn't boring.

Mois took the cookies out of the oven.

"I'm not going to stop antagonizing Natsumi. But you, Mois, you're fun." Kululu grinned, "See you at one of the rival rallies."

Mois shoved a cookie into his mouth so he wouldn't talk.

It was a good cookie.

* * *

Mois opened the door to Natsumi's house. She was in a good mood despite the embarrassment of throwing herself at Kululu and quickly being rejected and accused of being horny.

"Mois! You're finally here!" Natsumi threw herself at the ground desperately clinging to the bottom of Mois's dress, hoping for your help. "I need you. Oh my god...Geez terrible things have happened. A big mistake happened."

Mois looked worried, "What?" It must have been indeed terrible if Natsumi didn't ask about how Kululu's was.

"Giroro and I kissed and it turns out we're soul mates and now I have a soul mark and augh...Silver bloods and red bloods aren't supposed to be soul mates and now we're doing something illegal and I need to focus on the revolution but Giroro's just being dumb and lovesick and please help me...How do I reverse this so neither of us dies? I'm in so much trouble!" Natsumi groaned and just said everything in one breath.

Mois giggled a bit at Natsumi's fears. She helped Natsumi up. "It's all right, Natsumi."

Natsumi tried to stop panicking. She felt calm by Mois's words.

"I don't believe in soul mates!" Mois said joyously again, "After all love should be chosen, not forced. You can fall in love with anyone. Some people never fall in love with your soul mates after all." Mois told her.

Natsumi's eyes twitched. That still didn't help the situation of that what Giroro and her were was illegal. And she hadn't even been thinking about the problem that she would inevitably fall in love with Giroro! Now she was just embarrassed.

 _Shouldn't have asked Mois._ Natsumi remembered. Mois hated the soul marks. She didn't understand why the girl wasn't more romantic.

"I'd...I'd uhhh be fine if we fell in love." Giroro said, blushing a bit. He was already in love after all.

Natsumi sighed. _Guess I'm on my own with the real issues like I've committed something that is punishable by death._

Neither of her friends would help her after all. One hated soul mates and the other was stricken with the disease of lovesickness. She was on her own.

* * *

 **Natsumi- Red blood princess. Soul mate Giroro, her soul mark is on her left hand.**

 **Giroro- Silver blood criminal, soul mate Natsumi, his soul mark is on his left hand.**

 **Kululu- Red blood noble. Is a jerk in an opposition group against Natsumi's revolution.**

 **Mois- Natsumi's partner in crime in her revolution. Red blood.**

 **Please review.**


	4. Blood Test

**Two more chapters left! I'm almost done with this AU! Then I won't be having three stories on hold all at the same time! I will be free. It's good that they're all heading towards the end-ish.**

* * *

After Mois had come home from Kululu's manor – and been oddly unspecific about what happened there, it was time to go back to Natsumi's goals. Her revolution.

 _I can't just let Giroro's soul mark with me prevent me from continuing my revolution._ She let Giroro sit down in her house now that he was her ally as Mois and her discussed her next moves.

"So we got defeated by Kululu, what's best to put on the agenda next?" Natsumi asked.

"Perhaps we should look for financing for our revolution. Fundraisers always get people to be more interested in things!" Mois suggested.

"But what could be the fundraiser?" Natsumi asked, "What could we put on?"

"Fight! We should put on fights!" Giroro didn't know how this was relevant but he wanted to do it.

"I suppose we could spar." Natsumi shrugged, "The populace likes to see fighting. And although I'd hate to fight a silver blood, since you're tough we could make sure nobody gets hurt." She glanced at Giroro, "Would the silver bloods be mad if I fought with you and charged admission to see?"

Giroro shrugged, "Not if I mop the floor with you."

Natsumi glared at him.

"Sorry, Natsumi." Giroro apologized. He glanced at his hand again, lovingly.

"If we do this and stage a performance of fighting. And it'll only be staged because I don't want either of us getting hurt," Natsumi reminded him, "You can't act like we're soul mates, okay?" She reminded him.

 _This is good though. If we start fighting or get in a fight I can keep my mind off of the fact that we're soul mates._ A thing that still worried Natsumi. She didn't know if she was that brave to plunge herself fully into a relationship with Giroro. An illegal relationship.

"Got it." Giroro promised. He would have liked to show his soul mark to the world that a silver blood like him could have love, but he knew that the soul mark was dangerous. He was still proud of it.

The fundraiser was in place.

* * *

As Mois had predicted, lots of people wanted to come to a fundraiser. They didn't care what they were donating too, they just wanted to help. Natsumi could have said she was having a fundraiser to make a salad and the people still would have come.

"Good plan, Mois!" Natsumi congratulated, "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" Mois was confused and pouted.

"Well I mean you spent a night at that creep's house..." Natsumi shuddered, "I may have done something that might warrant my arrest, but you...You spent the night with Kululu."

"We mostly made cookies." Mois said honestly, "He sprinkled curry powder on his. It was kind of weird."  
Giroro groaned. That was weird.

Natsumi just raised an eyebrow as she looked at Mois like she didn't believe her. "Maybe he was just trying to be nice because he was trying to seduce you!"

"I don't think he's that smart." Mois said bluntly. _After all he wasn't actually trying to seduce me._

Natsumi laughed and pat Mois on the back. As guests started arriving she offered her hand to help Giroro onto the stage.

"Want to show off some moves?" She asked him.

"I'll be showing off a lot of moves." Giroro bragged, "Don't know if a red blood like you will be able to keep up."

"Is that a challenge?" Natsumi's eyes were firey.

"Oh definitely." Giroro loved Natsumi's warrior spirit. He loved antagonizing it to get her to fight him.

 _Crap. No wonder we're soul mates! We're so ready to fight most anything!_ Natsumi was so mad at how good of a match up this was. It was infuriating.

Still she joined Giroro on the stage, charging at him with a spin kick, the audience oohed and awwed as Giroro blocked and the two sparred.

Although they were together on the stage it felt like they were the only two in the world. They were only looking at each other and touching each other.

The fight they were going through had a firey passion. It wasn't noticeable to the audience but Giroro and Natsumi were going through an intense passion of wanting to attack each other.

Their blood might have been different colors but it was the same deep down. The blood of warriors.

"What's happening here?" Saburo asked walking in the theater after purchasing a ticket. Kululu was standing by his side.

"I think they're making a sad poor pathetic attempt to run their revolution. Ku, ku, ku. Careful Natsumi or I might have to steal your friend again as a bargaining chip for not killing anyone." Kululu pointed out.

Natsumi and Giroro stopped attacking each other to glare at Kululu and Saburo.

"Kululu..." Natsumi grit her teeth. She didn't even want to look at Saburo or talk to him. At least she had legitimate reasons for hating Kululu. He was just a bad mean jerk of a person.

 _No wonder he and Saburo are best friends._ Natsumi grit her teeth as she glanced between them.

Despite trying to be subtle about their soul mate bond, Giroro instinctual walked closer to Natsumi as if to protect her from the two creeps. "Saburo..." He hissed, "I've heard about you."

"Good things?" Saburo asked hopefully.

Giroro shook his head, "You're Natsumi's ex."

"Ah...Yeah." Saburo scratched his head. "That was a long time ago."

"What the heck are you two doing here? We don't want your organization to ruin our fundraiser!" Natsumi shouted.

Kululu shrugged, "Maybe we're just starting up a rival fundraiser...Right here. People will pay a lot for my goods after all and inventions." He rubbed his gloved hands together. "Ku, ku, ku. Bet they wouldn't be interested in your display if there was actually something good to pay for."

"We need a better fight." Natsumi whispered to Giroro.

"Well, I'll give the audience one." Giroro hissed. He stomped his foot on the stage hard. Then he glared at Saburo, no longer any fear in his eyes.

Saburo couldn't do anything to him. Nobody could order him to do anything. He was free thanks to Natsumi.

"Saburo!" Giroro pointed, "I challenge you to a fight."

"A silver blood challenging a red blood to a fight?" Saburo laughed, "You know I could easily order you to just beg me forgiveness." Saburo reminded him.

"I don't care. I will punch your annoying face for hurting Natsumi!" Giroro threatened, "And trust me when I say I am used to fighting red bloods. It's what I've done all my life."

A flash of nervousness quivered over Kululu's lips as if the gears in his head were turning that this wasn't a fight Saburo would win.

"...Fine." Saburo agreed, "I'm many things, but a coward is not one of them." He didn't feel like a silver blood could beat him. "I'm sure the good people want an actually fight where the red bloods win." He waved to his adoring public and fans.

Giroro cracked his knuckles.

"Giroro! Why are you doing this?" Natsumi asked.

"Because he hurt you. And I'm going to make sure he doesn't have the chance to again." Giroro hissed.

"He might be a bit of a flirt and a jerk but its not right to kill someone. Don't kill him." Natsumi ordered. She'd let Giroro punch him though.

Giroro nodded and waited for Saburo to step on stage with him.

"WAIT!" Kululu said suddenly, "You're determined to do this?" He asked Saburo quietly.

"Yeah. It's not like a silver blood could win against a red blood. I can just order him to stop if things get too difficult." Saburo reassured Kululu.

Kululu looked nervous.

Giroro grinned. _Ha! I can't be ordered!_

"W-what...What if he can't be ordered?" Kululu's voice was a whisper, something only Giroro's silver blood ears could detect and Saburo's.

"Why couldn't he be ordered?" Saburo was confused. "You...You think he might have found his soul mate or something? But that's illegal and I mean...Who would be his soul mate?" Saburo was shocked.

Kululu gripped Saburo's shoulders, not saying anything more. Saburo didn't seem to believe his worry.

As Saburo stepped onto the stage, Kululu stopped him. "I'll fight in his place." Kululu volunteered.

"W-what?" Giroro was startled.

"You have a bigger bone to pick with me, after all. Ku, ku, ku. And the audience wants a fight between a red blood and silver blood. And honest fight. Saburo won't be doing that. He's a duke. He's too good for you." Kululu told him. He pushed Saburo away to the back of the stage.

Saburo looked shocked but respected Kululu's decision to take the fight for him

"Cream him." Natsumi rooted for Giroro.

"Don't be too harsh! He's just looking out for his friend!" Mois was confused by Kululu's actions. _He's...Actually a good friend?_ She knew Kululu had somehow figured out that Giroro likely couldn't be ordered by anyone else. He seemed worried that Giroro would hurt Saburo and so he was taking the fall for his friend. _He's doing something nice?_ She couldn't understand. Kululu prided himself on being a terrible person.

What was so great about this Saburo guy that Kululu cared so much for him?  
Kululu laughed as a bell chimed for him and Giroro to fight. Kululu didn't even really try as Giroro punched and clobbered him until he was bruised and battered.

"Guess I'm not in the most physical condition. Ku, ku, ku. Geez you're angry. What a violent angry person. No charm whatsoever." Kululu stood up after he had been bruised. Nobody could see any blood on him thanks to his clothes covering all of his body. Still his glasses were crooked and cracked and it looked like he could barely see. "See? This is what I was talking about! The silver bloods are trying to harm us!" Kululu reminded, "That is why we shouldn't support them. Look at what this silver blood did to I, an innocent victim?"

He of course turned Giroro's equal fight into a message to support his revolution.

Giroro seethed in anger. Natsumi put a reassuring hand on his arm.

"We can't do anything. You beating him up again is exactly what he wants." She reminded, "I'm sorry. We'll just win the crowd over with how cool and much nicer we are."  
Giroro nodded. "I've been signed up for this revolution whether I like it or not, haven't I?"

"Yep. Part of the job of being with me." Natsumi grinned.

Giroro sighed.

* * *

People stuck around after all of the fighting to eat bits of party food that Natsumi had prepared. Although Natsumi and Giroro stuck together like two peas in a pod, Mois wondered off. And it wasn't too Kululu's side. It was to Saburo's.

"Hello." She greeted.

"Why, you are lovely! You're Natsumi's friend Mois aren't you?" Saburo leaned down and kissed her hand.

Mois nodded. "Kululu's friend, Saburo, right?" She asked.

"I was a little afraid you'd only know me as being Natsumi's ex." Saburo laughed, "But yeah, I'm Kululu's friend."

Mois glanced around. Kululu was no longer around. _He must have left to change clothes._ She realized. She had seen that his clothes were darkening with patches of blood, although she couldn't see much more past the dark colors besides the fact that they were wet. Clean clothes would benefit him much more than bloody ones.

That was all right. She didn't really want Kululu around at the moment. _I have some information to dig up._ Kululu knew a lot about her but she remembered that she didn't know much about him at all. Besides the fact that he was a jerk and they shared a lot of common interests.

She felt herself intrigued at the idea that he would sacrifice himself for a friend. She had to know what type of person Saburo was who had won him over.

"So Kululu didn't tell me much about you when we spent the night together, so what are you like?" Mois asked Saburo.

Saburo snickered for a moment, "Course he wouldn't mention me if he was busy seducing you." He pointed out. Apparently he hadn't realized the fact that Kululu hadn't actually been with any women.

 _Guess Kululu really is just trying to be like Saburo and impress him._ That was kind of unusual. She would have never imagined that Kululu was the type to desperately copy someone else so he could appear cool. It was kind of sweet that Kululu admired Saburo that much.

"So was it a one time thing or are you Kululu's groupy now?" Saburo asked curiously, taking a sip of champagne.

"One time thing." Mois answered. She was not going through that embarrassment again.

Saburo grinned, much more interested in Mois now. He sauntered up a little closer, his arm drifting around her waist. "Well then. I'd very much like to talk to you. Did you know I haven't seen someone as cute as you? You're mask is a little frazzled but I don't mind." Saburo admired, fixing her mask so it was better on her face for her.

Mois didn't move away. If she wanted to learn the things that she was curious about it required spending time with Saburo. "How can you be such good friends with a jerk like him, Saburo?" She tried to speak like she cared more about Saburo than Kululu, "I mean he hates all silver bloods. He always tries to attack Natsumi's wonderful revolution to find equality."

Saburo shrugged, "I don't have a problem with that. After all I hate most silver bloods too. If they were cool they would have actually tried doing something, being strong enough to take their own futures in their hands instead of mooching off of us." He shrugged, "I'm very happy to financial back Kululu's opposition group. After all I hate silver bloods too."

 _Oh..._ Mois realized. _I wonder if Kululu actually hates silver bloods or just wants to appear cool for Saburo._ It was a small thought, but she tried to push it back. "Why do you have to back Kululu's group? Doesn't he have money?"

Saburo changed the subject and didn't answer, "Don't much care about the mask issue but it's really important to Kululu. He wants everybody to keep the masks on their faces. I think he's afraid of taking his off. Thinks he's ugly."

"Is he?" Mois asked.

"Kind of." Saburo squeaked out, "I mean...Uhh I haven't seen him without his mask." He denied.

 _Isn't a big deal to see someone without their mask? Like red bloods only take off their masks if their really close lovers._ She wondered if that was Saburo and Kululu. That would certainly explain why Kululu wanted to impress him.

But by the way Saburo's hand was squeezing Mois's butt, Mois suspected that Saburo wasn't that into Kululu. She carefully removed his hand, sickened by it.

Natsumi watched Saburo and Mois flirt, fuming.

"What were you doing?" Natsumi asked as Mois finally found an excuse to ditch Saburo after getting the information she needed about Kululu.

The fact that for some reason Kululu and Saburo were very close and Kululu adored him.

"I was fishing for information." Mois said honestly, "I wanted to figure out why Saburo and Kululu were so close."

"It's a mystery that may never be answered." Natsumi shrugged. "Back when I was dating Saburo, they weren't that close. Kululu wasn't even in Saburo's life!" Natsumi admitted, "But I can't believe he was flirting with you."

"There, there." Giroro patted Natsumi's back. He didn't want her to be angry.

Natsumi fumed though. "That jerk! Don't ever fall into Saburo's clutches. If he touches you again I'll beat him up for you. Kululu too. I'll beat Kululu up for no reason at all!"

Mois didn't tell Natsumi that she actually felt like she was becoming Kululu's friend.

Natsumi fumed and yelled for several minutes.

* * *

After the fundraiser Natsumi had other things to do. Important things to do. She still had to figure out a way to remove the soul mark.

And if there was one person who knew the most about soul marks, it was Fuyuki. So she quickly went to visit her brother's new home.

"Natsumi! Thank god you didn't walk in on us again!" Fuyuki blushed as Natsumi pushed open the door, not even caring enough to knock. That was some risky business.

"She was about to. I'm sure we would have started kissing eventually. I want to continue being with my new husband!" Momoka cried.

"I need to borrow Fuyuki. I need him to lecture me on his occult mumbo jumbo and the soul mark things." Natsumi ordered.

Underneath Fuyuki's mask, Natsumi could tell he was crying.

"This is the happiest day of my life! My sister finally wants to hear about occult things!" Fuyuki fist bumped.

"Excuse me? What about the day you married me? Isn't that happier?" Momoka pointed out.

"Well yes. I mean I only really love the soul mate stuff because we're soul mates, Momoka!" Fuyuki reminded.

Momoka giggled and hugged her husband.

Natsumi sat down in a different room with him, the tea room. There were plenty of guards, butlers and even Dororo was running around on business.

"I need to know...Is there any way at all to stop the soul mate stuff? To get rid of a soul mark? To undo it?" Natsumi asked.

"Why would you want to undo it? It's true love." Fuyuki pointed out.

His sister still looked worried. Fuyuki sighed.

"The rules are that once you and your soul mate kiss, like lip on lip contact, a mark will appear on both of you, same place, same tattoo. The bond is so powerful that if silver bloods have it, they no longer need to be ordered by anyone to try to get equality with only their soul mark." Fuyuki explained.

"What about if a silver blood bonds with a red blood? Has that ever happened before?" Natsumi asked.

In the background Dororo stopped working, looking for the maid that he was supposed to assassinate. Instead he listened.

"No. I don't think it's possible. It's never been recorded at least. Why would a red blood fall in love with a silver blood? Why would they have a soul mark?" Fuyuki laughed. "Probably doesn't change the red blood at all. But the silver blood...They might feel powerful that they have a red blood mate. Also it would be extra illegal."

Natsumi nodded. "And there's no way to get rid of a soul mark?"

Fuyuki smiled, "I'm so happy you found your soul mate. But no...There isn't now accept your love!"

Natsumi knew that their society wasn't capable of accepting her and Giroro.

She bid Fuyuki a good-bye and left the mansion. As she left, Dororo stopped her. Nobody else was around.

"I heard what you were talking to Fuyuki about." Dororo told her.

"Keep it from Koyuki." Natsumi begged. She knew Koyuki wouldn't kill her if she suspected she was mated to a silver blood, but she was afraid.

"I never keep anything from Koyuki." Dororo whispered. "But Fuyuki is wrong. I do know of one red blood/silver blood soul mate bond."

Natsumi looked up at his confession. She looked around. It was just them in Momoka's large garden.

"Really?" She wasn't the first.

Dororo nodded.

"Were they killed?" Natsumi asked. "They couldn't have lived happily after all...They would have been killed if they were discovered. And you discovered them."

Dororo's eyes were calm. "If you have a silver blood as your soul mate I would suggest you stop your revolution. Rumors are bound to start appearing that you are a lover of silver bloods and it will draw attention to the two of you. You are both bound to be killed."

Natsumi shook in fright. Dororo was right, but she didn't want to stop the revolution just for her own good. That was weak and cowardly.

Natsumi slipped off her glove and showed him her hand finally and the small red skull. "I can't. I know Giroro and I might be killed, but I can't. So many silver bloods lives depend on me. I want to fight. This tattoo won't stop me."

Dororo looked sad as he looked at her mark. "So it was Giroro, huh?"

Natsumi nodded.

Slowly, Dororo nodded at her. "I wish I could help your revolution, but Lady Koyuki is not as reckless with other people's lives."

Natsumi looked confused, "What do you mean?"

"Lady Koyuki supports what you're doing. She wants to help silver bloods too. So much. She weeps for them. But she knows for a fact that if she draws as much attention to herself as you, I will be killed. And Lady Koyuki cares more about me than your revolution." Dororo's voice sounded sad, because he was on Natsumi's side. He wanted to help the silver blood's plight.

Natsumi was shocked. _Koyuki supports what I'm doing?_ She had been so hostile to her though. So mean about the revolution not wanting to join it at all.

Dororo slowly lifted up his shirt to show a small tattoo that was a dark green ninja star, out of place from his other ninja stars. "This is my soul mark. I am no longer controlled by the red bloods and haven't been for years."

"But...How...? How have you been able to keep it secret for so long?" Natsumi asked.

"It broke Koyuki and I to watch so much suffering. But we had to if we wanted to be together. I had to act like her pet in public and not support the silver bloods. It was a sad existent. But it's worth it every day as long as I can be with Lady Koyuki." Dororo's eyes grew soft. "She is my soul mate."

Natsumi was shocked. Koyuki had been in a secret relationship with Dororo all this time? "But...But how...You don't have a mouth!" She pointed to his mouth.

Dororo smiled and laughed. "I only started wearing this as a sign of respect to Lady Koyuki. I didn't always wear a mask."

"Why...How? How could a silver blood and red blood fall in love?" Natsumi asked. She and Giroro might have been soul mates but they had kissed out of a mistake. And she wasn't yet in love with him.

Dororo looked nostalgic. "I will tell you. Because you are Lady Koyuki's best friend and she has wanted to tell you for years. It was easy to fall in love. After all, she was amazing and kind and treated me like a person. Being together was much harder." Dororo confessed.

"Back when I was a child I was given the worst jobs in training. Giroro must have told you that we we were in the same training camp. I bet he neglected to mention that I was taken advantage of by even other silver bloods, more specifically Keroro. He always tricked me into doing things even without the power to order me around. I think it might have made him feel better to be superior to at least someone." Dororo seemed angry. "When red bloods were buying us, I wasn't bought. I was forgotten and left the side. Eventually just like all silver bloods that aren't bought I found myself in the outer lands, dying in a ditch of starvation just like other sad silver bloods with no purpose. Nobody wanted me. And not only that I didn't care that I was starving. I was depressed and suicidal because of my sad conditions." Dororo explained.

Natsumi listened to his story.

"But then Lady Koyuki found me. She picked me up in the ditch and helped me out. She offered me a job and to train me, and I happily accepted. She made me into the assassin I am today." Dororo grinned, "She was my everything and even though I quickly become her pet/silver blood slave. It was easy to fall in love with her and develop feelings for her. And even though I knew it was forbidden I confessed to her anyway because I believe in honesty and talking things out."  
Natsumi smiled. "Did she accept?"

"Yep. Once she learned that I had the same feelings for her as she was developing for me, we kissed and our soul marks appeared. Then we made love all night long and the next night and the next, and..."

Natsumi covered her ears. "Too much information! She's my best friend! I don't want to hear about this. La la la..."

Dororo giggled. "You get the idea. We're quite happy even though our love is forbidden. And we'll do anything to protect each other and keep it a secret."

Natsumi nodded. "I can't be like you and Koyuki though." She reminded Dororo. "I respect what you're doing, but I have to fight for what I believe in."

Dororo nodded. "Koyuki and I are here for you to support you if you need it." He hugged her.

Natsumi hugged back. It was good to know she wasn't alone.

"And if you or Giroro need anyone to talk to to help power through this, I'm here." He offered.

Natsumi was so happy to thank him. She was about to thank him when an alarm blared.

"MANDATORY Blood checking thanks to the 'Wings of Freedom' revolution. It's hypothesised that silver bloods might be trying for an uprising under Natsumi Hinata's rule. Red bloods report to the city hall in the center of the city for their blood to be drawn, silver bloods report to city hall to have all your tattoos checked. Any not regulated will be a punishment of death." The alarm blared.

Natsumi quickly put her glove back on and looked worried. "What will you do?"

"Lady Koyuki is smart. As soon as the soul mark appeared she got the paperwork that said she gave me a tattoo for branding purposes. Since nobody ever checks red blood's tattoos, nobody's found out and this tattoo I have isn't suspicious at all." Dororo smiled, "What will you and Giroro do?"

Natsumi panicked. "I'll hide him. Giroro won't be examined."

* * *

Natsumi quickly shoved the doors to her house open as she wildly looked for Giroro.

"Did you hear the sirens and the mandatory check?" She asked Mois who was hanging out at her house.

"Yep." Mois nodded. She was packing up for something. "I need to go. I...Uhhh...Volunteered to help take blood."

Natsumi looked at her oddly. _People don't volunteer to take blood. Those are only city officials jobs._

Natsumi grabbed Mois's arm. "Before you leave I need you to help me hide Giroro. If he's examined he'll be killed for his new tattoo!"

Mois glanced at Natsumi. "The closet. Just lock him in. But I need to go right now!"

Before Natsumi could stop her or ask her why, she ran off.

Natsumi glanced at Giroro. "Well you heard her. Sorry, but I have to shove you into the closet."  
"I don't mind. Those examines are invasive." Giroro nodded. He was currently trying to read a book for children, or at least learn how to read it.

Anything was better than the exams.

Natsumi nodded, ready to hide him.

* * *

Mois hurried to the blood banks and fake fainted in front of the blood banks.

"Move aside!" One of the officials said as they grabbed Mois.

"I...I'm anemic...I need blood! Don't worry, I'm a volunteer..." Mois pulled out her volunteer badge, "I take blood for you every Saturdays so you don't have to run any of my medical records before giving me the blood."  
The two officials, named Bob and Fred, nodded and carried Mois into one of the rooms with beds.

"Second person today to collapse and be a volunteer. The person who works Sundays just collapsed ten minutes ago." Bob explained.

Mois was confused. That seemed pretty suspicious.

She was left alone as Bob and Fred hurried off to get a bag of red blood.  
"I'm feeling better!" She stood up before they left, "Let me organize some bags of blood to make up to you the inconvenience I caused you." She frowned, "I know that's the worst of the jobs and most mind boggling boring."

"Sure." Fred answered, "Another guy's already in there. The other guy who fainted and mysteriously got better when we brought him inside."  
Mois thanked them and walked into the sorting room filled with the rooms filled with bags of red blood. To her surprise the first person she saw in there was Kululu, opening a bag of red blood and pouring it into a syringe.

"Kululu!" Mois looked shocked. As Kululu turned around he noticed that Mois was doing almost the same thing, a bag of red blood's in her hands and a syringe ready.

He looked at her for a good long time. "You work as a volunteer here too? Ku."

Mois nodded. "Why do you?"

"You don't believe I'm a good Samaritan? Ku, ku, ku." Kululu teased. His eyes remained on her bag of red blood.

Mois shook her head.

Kululu sighed as he put the red blood bag reluctantly back. "Guess...We should better just sort these things. But I can hold the fort here for a while. You should probably go to city hall and get your blood checked. Did you hear they're doing their yearly mandatory blood check early and as a surprise? Ku, ku, ku."

"I did." Mois nodded, "You don't believe I already got my blood checked?"  
"You don't have any bruises on your arms." Kululu observed.

She didn't budge. "I'm staying." She reluctantly put the bag of red blood away. Kululu noticed.

"Is that even your blood type?" Kululu asked.

"Like...Color?" Mois was confused.

"No type. Like O, or A, or AB? I mean if you were stealing blood at least make it believable...What type are you?" Kululu asked.

"I...I don't know..." Mois shrugged.

Kululu sighed, "Well you're an AB now." He threw a bag of AB blood at her. She tried to catch it but it instead dropped on the ground. "You have to give yourself a blood type."  
Mois didn't understand what he was talking about. "I have a blood type. I can't just give myself one. I think you're confused. I'm not trying to steal blood." She lied.

Kululu didn't look like he believed her. He turned around and continued to sort. "So...I heard you were having a good time with Saburo today. He says you're a nice girl." He tried to make awkward conversation, hoping to get her to leave. "You like him? Ku, ku, ku. Maybe you should go over to his house then. Spend some time with him, ya know?"

Mois shook her head. "I don't like him." She couldn't work properly with Kululu there. "I was only trying to get information from him about you!" She admitted.

"Little old me? You were that curious about me?" Kululu teased. "I think from this encounter here you have all the information you need."

Mois suspected that was true. "You don't really hate silver bloods." She accused, "Saburo does. You're doing this opposition group for him. To impress him or something. And you may be old lovers."

Kululu stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Ick! No. We're not old lovers. We're friends."

"He's awful for hating silver bloods." Mois frowned.

Kululu looked angry at her insulting his friend. "Hey! Saburo's not a bad guy! He's the same as me. We both only like silver bloods who prove themselves, who deserve a better life! Don't insult my friend!"

He really did look honestly angry.

Mois was frightened at first about to defend the silver bloods saying they were better than Kululu thought. Then she noticed that Kululu's cuff of his arm was still slightly darkened with blood and that he was still draining a bag of blood with a syringe.

Carefully, she reached over and scooted another bag to him. Her hand drifted to his hand until like lightning it grabbed the cuff of his arm, she pulled it down just a bit to reveal the silver blood.

Kululu looked up at her. "So the wound is still bleeding." He opened another bag and smeared some blood onto the wound. He then pulled some bandages out of his pocket. "Giroro really packed a punch."

 _You're a silver blood..._ Mois wanted to say. She was a bit shocked. Kululu was the number one silver blood hater, but suddenly things started making sense. He was just parading around and pretending to be a red blood.

At first Kululu looked frightened that Mois had discovered his secret, but seeing that she was still stuffing bags of blood in her bag and stealing he smiled and grinned.

 _I thought I was the only one. The only silver blood in the world hiding in a world of red bloods. We really are alike, Mois._ Kululu reached out and took her hand.

"I won't tell if you don't." He offered.

"Deal." Mois smiled. They both knew that the other wasn't a red blood after all.

 _Everything makes sense now. How Saburo saw him without his mask and how Saburo is financing Kululu. Kululu doesn't have money or prestige because he's actually a silver blood. He must have been Saburo's slave before something happened and Saburo helped him transition into this charade of pretend._ Mois glanced at Kululu's headphones yet again. They must have been there to cover where he had severed his animal ears. Bandages were still under the head phones after all.

 _So that's why he suggested severing Giroro's ears. It would have actually helped Giroro in the long run. He could have pretended to be a red blood. And been free._ Mois realized. The opposition group Kululu was running served two purposes, to impress Saburo and to throw suspicion off of himself. After all nobody would suspect that the leader of the silver blood hate group that called to discriminate against silver bloods more, tearing off their ears, would be a silver blood himself.

Kululu was smart. Somehow he had made sure nobody would ever find out. Mois and Saburo must have been the only people to know his secret.

 _That's also why he became frightened when I tried to undress him._ Mois realized. The tattoos that a silver blood were forced on them were probably still on Kululu's body. He wanted to hide them.

She looked at Kululu so entranced by what he had done. She never thought she would be honestly entranced and drawn to Kululu. _Silver bloods look just like red bloods after they severe their ears as long as they wear a mask._

She wanted to hug him, to tell him she wouldn't tell anybody, to apologize for the life he had before hiding away his true self. But instead Kululu reached out in his pocket.

"I'm going to write down my phone number." He told her. He sounded honestly happy, chipper even.

 _Is he that happy I found out?_ Mois wondered, unaware he thought she was a silver blood too.

"Write down yours too. We can coordinate schedules and get a better scheme next year. We can work together on this." Kululu offered. He handed her a slip of paper, but she just reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

Quickly she inputted her number and handed it to him. "Here. That's my phone number. Feel free to text and call me at any time!"

She saw that Kululu gave an almost shy smile and grin. "We better hurry over to city hall." He whispered, "Don't want to be late and be assassinated."

Mois nodded. "Let's get one more for good measure." She agreed.

Kululu nodded and threw another bag of blood in her travel bag.

"W-want to go together?" He asked, "Maybe we could do something after saving our lives." He shrugged and suggested.

"Are you asking me on a date?" Mois teased.

"Think of it as what you want. I just thought ice cream might be nice or something. Ku, ku, ku. Or curry." Kululu suggested.

Mois smiled. "I would love to." She would be happy to spend some time with Kululu. She truly knew what motivated him and went through his mind, and she wanted to spend time with him.

She would never ever tell Natsumi what she had discovered about their enemy. Not as long as she lived.

She had made a promise after all. Kululu wouldn't tell about her if she didn't tell about him.

Kululu offered his hand and she took it. She briefly wondered if it was the first time Kululu had ever held someone's hands because he seemed rather nervous and sweaty.

But they went together to get their blood tested.

* * *

Nobody knocked on Natsumi's door looking for Giroro. She got some privileges as being the princess of their society.

"Here." She told him, shoving him into a dark closet. The two of them hid out together since she didn't need to be tested. Everyone knew her blood ran red.

As the door closed it locked from the outside.

"Natsumi...It's locked." Giroro realized.

Natsumi sighed. Locked in a dark closet with Giroro. "At least now we have an excuse not to show off your tattoo."

"Are you really that concerned for my life?" Giroro grinned. The closet was cramped but Natsumi had found a comfortable spot on Giroro's lap to sit.

"Of course. You're my friend. I started this revolution because I was inspired by you! I don't want to lose you." Natsumi admitted.

Giroro sighed deeply, happy and content by that answer. His hand reached up to stroke Natsumi's head.

Natsumi leaned into his hand. It was almost instinctual. _God darn it._ She was reaching up to kiss him again.

Was this normal for soul mates? That every time they were alone they just started throwing themselves at each other? That surely explained Koyuki and Dororo and Fuyuki and Momoka.

 _Maybe it's just because we're locked in a closet together and it's dark and I'm in his lap._ Natsumi thought, she heard Giroro give a gruff moan as he held her as best he could, his hand slowly stroking her back as she pressed up against him, kissing him as hard and desperately as she could.

She slammed him violently against the back of the closet, so she could have more room to stretch and kiss him better. Giroro just let her do whatever she wanted, all he would do was hold onto her waist, his hands gripping her hard, making her want to just kiss him more.

"I can't believe I'm doing this again." Natsumi was angry at mostly herself as she spoke in between kisses. Who knew how long she'd be making out with him since the door was locked?

She couldn't see him either. She couldn't see if he was smiling. All she could do was feel how much he wanted her to continue kissing him.

"It's all right." Giroro reassured, "I really don't mind." He actually enjoyed it a lot her sporadic make out sessions.

Natsumi just groaned in annoyance. "I'm just so sorry! I just keep throwing myself at you and I don't know why."

"Maybe you like me." Giroro teased.

"I don't. Not that way. Not yet at least." She knew she might start falling in love with him. He was her type and they were soul mates.

"Would it be so bad to fall in love with me?" Giroro asked, he was kissing along her chin. His kisses were more gentle than hers. Less fueled by just raw emotion. They were better thought out, more like a gentle lover's touch.

"Yes! This is forbidden after all! What we're doing is punishable by death." Natsumi reminded him.

For some reason that just made him kiss her more. Maybe he liked that sort of situation. Natsumi had never been controlled by a silver blood's desires, but here she was moaning into Giroro's kisses and enjoying them fully.

"I like you. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that." Giroro confessed.

Natsumi stopped for a moment in shock. Giroro liked her? _Like he has a crush on me?_ She was in greater crap than she had thought.

Right now her greatest ally, the strong silver blood criminal Giroro, was just a lovesick puppy. All he thought about was his giant crush on her. She should have known. No wonder he had such a problem hiding it.

It took hours for them to be rescued from that closet by Mois who had awkwardly heard them upstairs when she had returned from her ice cream date with Kululu.

Natsumi was saved. And she didn't know how to recover from what she had gotten herself into.

* * *

 **Dororo-Silver blood who assassinates other silver blood's. Koyuki's soul mate.**

 **Koyuki- Red blood who assassinates other red blood's. Dororo's soul mate.**

 **Fuyuki- Red blood. Momoka's soul mate.**

 **Momoka- Red blood Fuyuki's soul mate.**

 **Angol Mois- ? Kululu's friend and Natsumi's friend. Helps Natsumi's revolution.**

 **Saburo- Red blood noble. Finances Kululu to hide him.**

 **Kululu- Silver blood who is leading an opposition group against Natsumi.**

 **Giroro- Silver Blood, Natsumi's soul mate.**

 **Natsumi- Red blood leading a revolution. Giroro's soul mate.**

 **Please review.**


	5. Soul Mark

**Fifth chapter of the mask AU. Mostly kurumois this chapter.**

* * *

Mois really did care about the revolution. She believed that the silver bloods should rise up and not be treated so horribly. And although she wore her mask, she didn't like it. It was a hassle and it always felt like it would fall off and she was not accustomed to it.

But slowly because of her new found relationship with Kululu, Mois started doubting the revolution. She felt terrible for Natsumi that her mind had doubts, but there were some things she just didn't want to do.

 _If I push the revolution to get more people..._ Mois thought to herself, and Natsumi's revolution had finally started getting recruits, most of the city was either on her side or Kululu's, _It will hurt Kululu._

And although Mois was a nice person she very strongly believed that one life, or good things for one life, was better than many.

Kululu was a silver blood. That Mois was sure about. He didn't much talk about his past while he was with her, but he had started opening up to her more once she had discovered his true nature.

Mois licked her ice cream cone that Kululu had bought for her, most likely with Saburo's fortune since he didn't actually have any money of his own.

She reached over and briefly held his hand as he glanced over at her, wondering why she was trying to be closer. He shrugged though and held her hand delicately.

 _Are there any more like you?_ Mois wondered. _Silver bloods who are hiding as red bloods who the revolution is hurting?_ She didn't want to ask, she had promised not to bring it up.

The two of them regularly went on ice cream dates and Mois could honestly admit she cared for Kululu, at least as a friend now. Although she also felt like they were sort of low-key dating as well, despite the fact that Mois knew he wasn't really a womanizer he constantly flirted with her, and sometimes when they were well enough alone she flirted back, giving him a brief kiss or hug or something along those lines.

Things weren't very intense between them, but they were happy.

But Mois's mind was still clouded with doubts about Natsumi's revolution. She walked along the twisted alleyways with Kululu thinking about it.

People from his revolution, 'Grounded' were chanting. "Keep the masks! Don't let anyone take them off."

"People really care about those masks, huh?" Mois asked Kululu, quietly so the people chanting wouldn't hear. She didn't really understand why.

 _I wonder if Kululu has any tattoos under his mask that he's trying to hide._ From what she had seen, silver bloods didn't usually have tattoos on their face, so he must have just kept the mask on for personal reasons.

"Ku. Course they do. It's a matter of privacy and something I myself think is very important." Kululu agreed with the chanters. "One of the reasons I actually started the opposition group wasn't because I cared about any important issues but that I didn't want everybody to start discarding the masks. Luckily a lot of people feel that way."

"Why?" Mois asked.

Kululu glanced at her, "Although I'm sure you have a really cute face, not everyone has that luxury or comfort. Some people's faces are disfigured or scarred. And some people are just plain ugly like me. Ku, ku, ku! Point is, not everybody would be happy to show their bare faces in public like Natsumi." Kululu pointed out.

Mois looked at him with pity. She tightened her grip on his hand, unable to feel his bare skin because of his gloves but able to feel the warmth between them nonetheless. "I'm sure you have a wonderful face."

"I'm sure it's about as terrible as my personality." Kululu shrugged, "Which you yourself have acknowledged as terrible."

Mois couldn't deny that. It was quite wicked. But his friendship had also grown on her. "I don't care if you're cute or not. All I care about is that you're you. At least you're honest and upfront about your personality."

Kululu grinned sheepishly to himself. She couldn't say for sure if he was good looking or not, but he did like to hear ego boosts like that. He nuzzled up to her briefly, pulling her into an awkward hug.

Her ice cream dropped.

"I'm me, and you're you." Kululu repeated. _And we're both silver bloods pretending to be something we're not._ He thought to himself.

They were two sides of a coin. And he was just happy not to be alone.

* * *

Natsumi had a lot of problems to deal with. Her revolution was finally getting traction and getting bigger and bigger, but instances of violence had started to pop up between her group and Kululu's.

Giroro still wasn't offering much help, he was too much of a sappy romantic, trying desperately to woo Natsumi. Although when she asked for his advice he did try to give his opinion. It was usually to fight things.

She had managed to hide Giroro's and her's soul mark, but Natsumi didn't know how long she could keep it a secret that Giroro could no longer be controlled by red bloods that weren't her. She knew as soon as Giroro left her manor he would probably try to destroy something and nobody would be able to stop him.

She also had an issue of trying to get work done, but immediately being distracted by Giroro. _I bet that soul mark thing makes you want to kiss your soul mate a lot immediately after forming._ Natsumi didn't want to consider that she might have just been really attracted to Giroro, but whenever he was around she ended up throwing herself at him and he was a slave to her desires, something that Natsumi noticed, Giroro didn't mind in the least bit.

She wanted to get work done.

Her newest issue of course was that her one partner who was able to successfully get work done, who had been with her since the beginning of the revolution, Mois, had started disappearing. She would leave to do other things with other friends she said. Sometimes she would look a lot nicer like she was just ditching Natsumi for some boy.

 _Not that I have a problem with that. I just feel offended that Mois hasn't told me who her boyfriend is!_ Natsumi was her friend! Why didn't Mois trust her?

"Natsumi..." Mois approached Natsumi as she lounged in Giroro's lap. "I don't think I can do this any more. I need to take a break." She gave the classic break up speech.

Natsumi's eyes widened. "Do what? Mois are you okay?"

"Your revolution. It's not that I don't believe in it...It's just, someone else is in my life now. And I don't want to hurt him. So I need to take a step back and keep my involvement in the revolution to a minimum." Mois told her apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Natsumi's eyes twitched. _Oh no, no, no! You are not leaving my revolution for some guy! Do not be like Koyuki!_ Natsumi wouldn't give up justice for Giroro. She didn't understand why everybody was dropping like flies to protect their soul mate. She would fight together with Giroro. "Who is it? Who told you to stop the revolution? Why is your soul mate controlling you?"

"He's not my soul mate." Mois said confidentially. "And it's nobody." She denied, "I made this choice myself." She looked sadly at Natsumi, "Are you mad at me?"

Natsumi narrowed her eyes. She was, but she wasn't going to tell Mois that. "It's all right. You can go."

Mois nodded and left the room.

"What are you going to do, Natsumi?" Giroro asked, "I don't think you're the type to just give up."

"I'm not. I'm going to see what kind of bozo stole Mois away." Natsumi rolled up her sleeves.

"I'm a better tracker than you." Giroro put his hand on Natsumi's shoulder, "Let me follow her and figure out what's going on."

Natsumi looked up at him and sighed. Likely Giroro just wanted to stretch his legs out of the manor and she didn't want to keep him there like a slave. "Okay. Do it."

Giroro nodded. Giving Natsumi a gentle kiss on her hand, he left. He made sure to hide his tattoo before he went.

He was finally out alone on the town.

* * *

With Giroro's superior ears, it was easy to find Mois in one of the more seedy locations of town.

"I came as quickly as I could. What did you need?" Mois asked as she glanced at Kululu and then back down at her phone.

Kululu pointed up at the bar sign, "They're having a special. For every glass of alcohol you get a free plate of curry. Ku, ku, ku."

"And this concerns me how?" Mois asked.

"Alcohol dampens the taste of curry. I was wondering if you could have the booze and I could have the curry. Ku, ku, ku. Don't worry, I'll take you safely home and won't let you jump on me again. I know how incredibly horny you are already." Kululu teased.

Mois sighed, "And why should I do this for you?"

"Uhhhh...Sign of friendship?" Kululu suggested

"This is the worst date location yet." Mois noted.

Kululu wrapped his arm around Mois's waist. "I'll make it up to you. You can choose next." He promised.

Mois smiled to herself. "Can I stay at your house tonight and you can take care of me during that terrible hangover I'm about to have?"

Kululu thought for a moment. "Sure. I guess I kind of deserve that."

The two walked into the bar where Giroro could not follow.

 _She's...Dating Kululu of all people?_ Giroro frowned. Natsumi really wouldn't like this. Her friend was somehow and for some reason seeing her greatest enemy. All Giroro could think about was how horrible of taste Mois had.

He just felt sorry for the poor girl.

* * *

Natsumi was waiting for Mois the next day at her house. And Natsumi was not pleased at what Giroro had told her.

"You said you needed something?" Mois smiled. She hoped she and Natsumi could still be good friends even though she ditched the revolution.

Natsumi crossed her arms and glared. "You ditched me for the enemy?"

Giroro tsked, tsked and wagged his finger in disappointment at Mois.

"Excuse me?" Mois asked.

"You're dating the enemy! Kululu of all people! He's terrible! He's literally the worst. He wants to harm silver bloods just for the fun of it. He's the definition of entitled red blood!" Natsumi yelled, "How could you be dating someone like him? How could you believe everything he told you and ditch the revolution?"

She couldn't believe Mois could have that much lack of common sense.

"Kululu's not that bad-" Mois tried to defend her friend, "Me and him have a lot in common. We're just kind of having fun and doing what we feel like. It's nothing threatening..."

Natsumi stomped her feet on the hard wood floors and yelled. She couldn't believe that Kululu wasn't threatening. "Mois! You can't leave. I need you." She begged the girl, grabbing her hand, "You're the only sensible one here with actually ideas how to keep this revolution running and to hide me and Giroro. And if we're discovered as soul mates we will die. We'll never be able to live in peace without you."

Mois pouted. That was true. She sighed and pulled out a book that she had brought Natsumi from her bag. "I was going to tell you this tomorrow, but I suppose it can happen today. I think it's something you need to know."

She plopped down the history book on the table. "You and Giroro aren't the first instance of a red blood/silver blood soul mate bond."

Giroro looked interested.

Natsumi just sighed. "I know! Dororo and Koyuki were soul mates long before us."

"Who are they?" Mois asked confused.

Natsumi didn't answer. "Just get on with your story."

"Okay." Mois nodded. She flipped through the pages detailing society's history and how it had risen up. It was an obscure history book, probably from some creepy library. It didn't look like many people had read it. Even Fuyuki might not have gotten his hands on a weird book like that. "Long ago, thousands of years ago during the revolution against the purple bloods, the ruling class that controlled the red bloods and the silver bloods, the red bloods and silver bloods managed to put aside their differences and work together to kill all of the purple bloods." Mois flipped through the pages.

"I know all this." Natsumi looked bored.

"Both of the leaders of each blood color were actually soul mates and were unable to be controlled by the purple bloods, that was how they could start the revolution. Yes, the leader of the revolution was a silver blood and a red blood who were soul mates." Mois described.

Natsumi was confused. She hadn't heard about that.

"It was still illegal even back then for them to be in love. So to conceal their relationship the leader of the red bloods started instructing the other red bloods to wear masks, because her mark was on her face. She didn't want anyone to see the weird tattoo. The silver blood decided to start a tradition that all the silver bloods would be tattooed so her tattoo wasn't out of place." Mois told Giroro and Natsumi.

The two looked shocked.

"So wait...The masks and tattoos were only created to hide someone's love affair?" Natsumi asked. That was so much less dramatic than a tradition of privacy!

"Yep!" Mois clapped.

"I always thought our tattoos were a form of control, branding us..." Giroro's fingers ran over his many skull tattoos, "I didn't know it came from just a petty secret and another silver blood."

"Soul mates really are interesting things." Natsumi decided, "Some soul mates don't work together as well as me and Giroro. Instead they'd watch the world burn to protect each other." She thought of Koyuki and Dororo, who were putting aside their morals to protect the other.

It was romantic in a way. Natsumi felt better that she wasn't the only red blood/ silver blood pair.

She glanced at Mois who was reading the history of their world again. Natsumi couldn't read her face, but there was an air of sadness to her. Loneliness or something.

Natsumi put a hand on her shoulder. _She's probably the type of romantic who would want her soul mate to burn the world for her._ "I'm sure you'll find your soul mate someday. What do you think they'll be like?" She knew Mois didn't believe in soul mate stuff, but perhaps after the story she had changed her mind and felt lonely that she didn't have a soul mate.

Mois's gaze snapped over to Natsumi, staring at her. "Are you asking me this because you're trying to dissuade me from dating Kululu?"

"Let's be real. He's not your soul mate." Natsumi frowned that Mois had figured out her scheme. "There's someone better than him out there for you. He will not be your Saburo who cheats on you and throws you aside."

Mois didn't look like she cared that Kululu wasn't her soul mate. "Truth be told Natsumi, I believe very much in love. I do like romance and the idea of it. And I like the idea of falling in love and would be happy to have a love with someone. But I don't like soul mates at all."

Natsumi looked confused about Mois's reasoning. "Why?"

"I've already encountered mine." Mois admitted. "I already have the tattoo." She didn't take off her mask but she briefly touched the corner of her right eye as if the tattoo was under there.

 _So that's why she doesn't take off her mask._ Natsumi realized. It was to hide her soul mark. _Did they die?_ Natsumi wondered. "Why aren't you with them?"

"Because soul mates are one of two things I hate most in the world." Mois scowled. "The other is fairy tale called sleeping beauty."

Natsumi and Giroro looked at each other confused. They didn't understand why Mois would hate either of those things and why they went together.

They thanked her for her information but could not persuade her to dump Kululu.

* * *

The violence between the two groups, Natsumi's revolution and Kululu's opposition group was growing to an all time high. More and more people kept picking and choosing between them and then hurting the other group.

Injuries and even deaths of silver bloods were happening.

And Fuyuki was sick and tired of it. Natsumi might have been high up in society but since she had caused the trouble, she could not fix it, and the responsibility to fix Kululu and Natsumi's mistakes rested solely on Fuyuki.

"I know!" He decided one morning, "I'll make them into friends! I'll host a dinner party that will be a huge event and then they'll make up and stop this fighting." It was a very Fuyuki like scheme, no violence, just a long friendship speech.

And thanks to Momoka, he had the money to back an extravagant event.

Fuyuki quickly made the invitations and invited every rich and well known red blood, plus his and Momoka's silver blood to what he was sure would be a happy non-violent friendship fest of a party.

He had no idea the things he was doing.

* * *

Natsumi had no idea what Fuyuki had in store for her. But she could take a guess.

 _He's probably going to give me a dumb friendship speech about how I should just play nice and not fight for what's right._ Natsumi sighed, "We have to go. It's a public event." She told Giroro.

Giroro nodded. Newspapers, press, everything would be there. And it was also an opportunity to strike Kululu with something they couldn't be charged with- just straight up humiliating him.

Natsumi stroked Giroro's hair briefly. "I'm...I'm really sorry, Giroro, but you're going to have to wear a collar there." She saw the torn skin from his neck of wear he swore to never wear a collar. "Everyone thinks you're my pet and if they start suspecting you aren't...They'll kill you."

Giroro nodded, "I'm not your pet though. I know that. I'm your lover." He said with great confidence.

Natsumi blushed. She had never really called Giroro her lover, but she didn't stop him from referring to himself as that. It felt almost nice to see him so happy about something simple like that.

"Still, are you going to be okay? I hate these collars and I really don't want you wearing one...But I don't see an alternative." Natsumi sighed. She got out a small ribbon and slowly tied it around Giroro's neck.

"I'll be fine. I'm a warrior. Although I'm not used to playing the role of a spy pretending to be something I'm not, I'll do it." Giroro told her. He kind of wished Natsumi would kiss his neck as she put the collar one, it would have made him feel a lot better, but she didn't.

"Nobody can order me to do anything at this party. I'm finally free. So I might as well enjoy it." Giroro nodded, "I will stay by your side and I won't let anyone harass you especially not that Kululu fellow and if I see Saburo." Giroro cracked his knuckles.

Natsumi squeaked in almost fear. "If someone orders you something pretended it worked. All right?"

Giroro nodded. If it was Natsumi's wish he'd do it.

Natsumi took his arm and rather quickly they took a car to Fuyuki's extravagant dinner party. They entered the house, turning in their invitation at the door.

Natsumi looked around the room for possible people that weren't wearing a pin for her revolution or Kululu's opposition group. People who didn't have a side so she could convert them.

Unfortunately she ran into someone who definitely had a pin supporting Kululu's group.

"Saburo." Natsumi hissed.

"Natsumi." Saburo didn't hate Natsumi nearly as much as Natsumi hated him. After all he wasn't the one who was cheated on.

Giroro didn't notice that Saburo and Natsumi were interacting, instead he went over to Fuyuki.

Fuyuki turned pale as he saw Giroro who had attempted to murder him before.

"Interesting party. Never been to one of these except to try to blow them up." Giroro hummed.

"Why are you here?" Fuyuki asked.

"I'm Natsumi's guest." Giroro looked at Fuyuki, "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry I guess for trying to kill you. As Natsumi's brother you're off my list of red bloods who should die."

"...Uhhh thanks?" Fuyuki asked, he didn't know if Giroro was trying to be nice.

Giroro nodded as if he had said the nicest thing ever to his probably future brother-in-law. He then rushed off seeing that Natsumi was with Saburo.

He quickly got to Natsumi's side to be her protector.

"You know, I don't think you actually want to help the silver bloods." Saburo was saying, "I think you just have a problem with me and the way I see things. You're just trying to get under my skin."

Natsumi didn't care if it was against the rules to be violent. She slapped him, hard.

Everybody looked over to Saburo who was clutching his face.

"He's had it coming for several years." Was all Natsumi said, "And if you report it Fuyuki, I'm showing off your baby pictures. Your mask was a lot uglier then."

Fuyuki's face couldn't be seen under his frog mask, but he just nodded. "No more violence, sis. This is a fun dinner party."

Natsumi glared. She crossed her arms. "I am defending the silver bloods because it's the right thing to do. It's not about you."

Saburo looked like he was in pain. He reached up to pull Natsumi down, but Giroro stepped in front of him.

He didn't care about the laws against violence. He would beat this guy to a pulp. He cracked his knuckles and was about to slam his fist into Saburo's gut when Saburo yelled a loud, "STOP!"

Giroro almost forgot that he was supposed to stop, under Natsumi's instruction. He really wanted to punch the guy but he knew it would give himself away if he didn't listen to the orders.

He glared at Saburo. "Sure thing, bub." He said and stepped on his foot. "Come on, Natsumi."

Natsumi nodded as Saburo cried out in pain.

 _Was I not specific enough?_ Saburo wondered. Why hadn't Giroro frozen like most silver bloods had?

* * *

Kululu had arrived with his guest, Mois, long before Giroro and Natsumi had.

Kululu knew he didn't have a set goal to do at this party. He decided to just be as dignified a jerk as he possibly could, playing pictionary and charades with other party guests and ruining what little fun they were having in their meaningless lives.

"Why are you on her team, Kululu?" One of his groupies finally asked as he continually flirted and was polite to the females and as mean as he could to the males, stealing away their dates. The girls pointed to Mois.

Mois politely waved as she sat on the couch, right next to Kululu.

"She's my plus one." Kululu said simply, "I suppose you could say she's my friend, in a way." He shrugged, "But don't worry, ladies, there's plenty of me to go around. Ku, ku, ku. I will spend time with you all in return for curry." He'd do anything for curry.

Mois frowned as she heard this as the gaggle of girls giggled. She tugged on Kululu's arm.

"I'm thirsty." She told him.

"Water isn't over in the direction of the balcony." Kululu sighed. "I thought that was pretty obvious."

"It's just an excuse. That's what people say when they want to talk to someone." Mois rubbed her forehead. It hurt from her heavy mask.

Kululu frowned. What did she want to talk about? He let her tug him away from the party games with a sigh until they were at the completely uncrowded balcony. It was too chilly for anyone else to be there and looking at the stars.

"So what is it you want, Mois?" Kululu asked impatiently.

Mois frowned. He couldn't see her eyes, but he could see that she was unhappy at him. And that was reason enough to be scared. "Why didn't you call me your girlfriend when they asked?" She pouted.

Kululu felt confused for a moment. "G-girlfriend?"

"Am I not your girlfriend? But haven't we been going on dates and things." Mois pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's just us having fun together, hanging out you know. It's just a casual thing." He thought she knew this.

Mois was silent for a moment.

"It's not the girlfriend thing that bothers you, is it." Kululu deciphered, "It's the flirting. Look, I'm a ladies man in public, but you know I haven't been with anybody-" He reassured.

"I don't care. It's still a bit weird." Mois frowned. She was a little jealous, "Look, if you want me to be your _ally..._ " She didn't need to call it a girlfriend, "And for me to be with you and have fun casual hang outs like that, you're going to have to stop flirting with other girls. You could say, undivided attention?"

"But... Saburo..." Kululu pointed out.  
"You aren't Saburo, no matter how much you try to be. You're Kululu." Mois reminded him, "And more importantly I want to be your girlfriend. Relationship or no more me making you curry." She used leverage.

Kululu looked shocked. But he liked curry. "And no more kisses and dates either?"

"Well, that's a given." Mois couldn't believe that he didn't know that was a given.

Kululu wondered if he could get out of this without giving commitment. "Look, I'd love to be a thing with you, but aren't you worried about that soul mate thing? I'm not your soul mate, we both know that, so won't you always be wondering where your real soul mate is? You seem like the romantic type." Kululu pointed out.

Mois smiled, "I am the romantic type. I believe in love, but I want to choose my love. I don't like the soul mate thing."

"That makes two of us. I've never met anyone else who felt a similar sentiment. Ku, ku, ku." Yet another thing he and Mois had in common, "I'm curious why though, why don't you like them?"

"I've already met my soul mate." Mois admitted.

Kululu was quiet. "He die or something? Or was he just an idiot?"

Mois shook her head, "Have you ever heard the tale of sleeping beauty, Kululu?"

"Sure have. It's a creepy fairy tale. Some girl falls asleep and the first thing some guy does is kiss her? I'm pretty sure the prince's only benefit is that he's a perv. Now if he had some proper motivation...Ku, ku, ku." Kululu shrugged. "I thought you'd like that fairy tale though. Don't you like sleeping?"

Mois nodded, "I suppose I met my soul mate kind of like the sleeping beauty story. I was sleeping in an open area, just taking a nice little nap. When I woke up the tattoo was already on me, burning. From what I know of soul mates that means that some person, my soul mate, found me sleeping and decided to kiss me. Then they left." She shrugged, "I never met them, but it's creepy enough that I don't want to. It ruined my perception of soul mates. I don't want to ever be with someone like that. They didn't love me. They didn't even know me. They just kissed me while I was sleeping."

Mois was shaking. She didn't like thinking about it.

Kululu didn't much know what to do about her shaking, so he pulled his arm around her calmly, pulling her closer. It was comfort and although he wasn't very good at it, he would act the part of a nice gentleman for Mois if it would stop her shaking. "That does sound creepy." He agreed with Mois.

Mois leaned closer to him, cuddling up to him.

"I don't actually believe in soul mates either. I don't think it necessarily has to mean love. I mean for me it was always a means to an end." Kululu admitted.

"You've met your soul mate too?" Mois asked. That made sense. It was the only way a silver blood couldn't be ordered by someone. He would need to have met his soul mate to survive in their society.

"Yep. I made a machine that would lead anyone- but mostly me, I didn't share, to their soul mate. I needed to find my soul mate because of my..." He coughed, "Condition or else I wouldn't be able to properly survive in this society. It took a while to locate her but I found her. And we ignited the bond. I mean it still makes me nervous when people are giving orders around me, I'm never sure if it really worked, but luckily I'm manipulative enough that I rarely ever have to hear orders. Ku, ku, ku." Kululu grinned.

Mois put her hand on Kululu's. He barely ever talked about his silver blood past. "What happened to her?" She would have figured Kululu would have still been with his soul mate if he had found her.

"Ku, well ya see I actually found her when she was...Uhhh dead." Kululu frowned, "It was kind of awkward. I mean thanks to my machine I was still able to get some use from a dead girl, but she was just lying in some cave not really decomposing but I mean she looked dead. Ku, ku, ku." Kululu explained, "I kissed her for a means to an end, and then left. I mean I knew she was meant to be with me because of the soul mate thing, but she died before I was able to ever meet her. So I suppose it's sad in a way. Always kind of wondered what my supposed soul mate was like." Kululu shrugged. He didn't like thinking about what could have been. She was dead anyway, no reason to think like that.

"You kissed a dead girl? That's so weird." Mois teased. She thought for a moment, "We're perfect for each other, Kululu. We can both actually choose our futures and who we want because our soul mates are out of the way."

Kululu nodded after a minute of thinking it over. "We're both doing the same thing." _And we suffer from the same condition as silver bloods._ Made sense why Mois couldn't be controlled if she had already met her soul mate. He briefly wondered where her tattoos or animal ears were but tried to shrug it off. Her tattoos could have been under her dress instead of on her shoulders. She could have been well behaved and not gotten that many as punishment. Her ears? Maybe she was a weird silver blood/red blood hybrid and didn't have any. He didn't know.

All he knew was that they were the same.

* * *

As Giroro and Natsumi picked fights and tried to antagonize people to join their revolution in the background, Mois and Kululu sat back down with other couples to play another party game.

Fuyuki and Momoka were a team and Koyuki and some red haired assassin guy. Dororo, Koyuki's silver blood, watched on almost jealously that he couldn't be on Koyuki's team as a couple.

"Kululu, Mois." Fuyuki smiled, "Want to play a couple game with us?"

"Sure." Kululu shrugged and sat on the couch, taking up most of the couch like a jerk. Mois sat beside him.

"The game is called silver blood." Fuyuki grinned, "Unfortunately it's also a game that requires energy so I suck at it." He cried. "You touch everybody's heads and go around in a circle saying red to each head, because of the red blood color. Once you choose a target you hit their head and say silver and you run around the circle and try to steal their chair. If the person deemed the silver blood loses they have to obey the first order that the circle yells out and decides on."

Everybody nodded, knowing this game. Kululu's expression was blank but Mois could feel him sweating.

He already felt nervous about this game.

She wanted to stand up and stop them from playing but it was too late. Fuyuki had switched places with Momoka and Momoka was now going around the circle. Her hand lingered on Fuyuki's head until she finally chose Kululu, who looked like the weakest of the batch.

"Silver." She said and ran around. Kululu of course couldn't get to his seat in time.

 _Oh no..._ Mois realized. She could see Kululu's hands twitching as his mind must have spun for a way to get out of this. _He probably always feels nervous when orders come up and he wonders if the soul mate bond thing didn't work and he will slip up._ He had followed orders most of his life after all.

The group started chattering amongst themselves to figure out what they would make Kululu do.

 _I have to say something harmless and give him an order before anyone else can to distract him._ Mois decided. "Kiss me." She said the first thing on her mind.

Kululu looked shocked for a moment, but he obeyed almost instantly. He pulled himself to her like he was a magnet and picked her up in a passionate kiss.

He was no longer twitching but that was because his hands were holding her in his arms. Mois kissed back sweetly and eagerly not caring that a lot of people were watching this display. She didn't care how passionate their kiss was getting in front of everybody else, and it was getting pretty passionate for some reason. Kululu would just not stop kissing her and Mois was happy enough not to let things end.

She pulled away after several heated minutes and when Fuyuki was crying,

"I'm a married man but I don't want to see this!"

She pulled away and smiled at Kululu, her mask teetering almost as if it would fall off again. She expected that Kululu would help correct it, but instead he had a cold look on his mouth as he wiped off whatever saliva had been exchanged between them.

He grabbed her hand. "We need to talk." He said in a hush of a voice.

He dragged her off before she could ask what was wrong.

* * *

Natsumi had been trying to convert people to her revolution, but she had quickly gotten distracted from Giroro's hovering over her shoulder.

Her mind was still ablaze with an exciting need to be close to him and him being close didn't help. She couldn't touch him or do anything while they were in public though.

"Follow me." She told him. She couldn't keep her mind and hormones at bay.

Giroro nodded and followed her to a very empty hallway in Fuyuki's manor. Eventually they got to a storage closet.

Natsumi shoved him inside. "Sorry in advance."

"No problem." Giroro grinned. He didn't mind Natsumi trying to steal kisses from him. He would let her kiss his body at any time. He happily grabbed a hold of her trying to be delicate with her body. She was stronger than him but much smaller. He didn't want to break her.

At first their kisses were short and sweet, just stolen memories knowing they could be caught at any time. Then they started desperately making out with each other.

They couldn't keep their hands off of each other. And they had a desperate need to fulfill.

Unfortunately that hallway was also the hallway that Kululu and Mois had chosen to have their talk in. As soon as Giroro and Natsumi heard footsteps approach they stopped kissing.

It was the most empty hallway and they didn't want to be caught. They both held their breath for a moment until they realized that whoever was in the hallway wasn't trying to enter the storage closet.

Kululu leaned on a wall as he looked at Mois.

"What did you need to talk about, Kululu?" Mois brushed a strand of misplaced hair off of her mask. She hoped he just wanted to kiss more.

"You lied to me." Kululu accused slowly and coldly.

"Um...What are you talking about? What do you mean?" Mois asked confused.

"I thought you were a silver blood. But when you ordered me like that...I had to do it! I had no will power whatsoever against your words." Kululu was shaking for a moment, "My plan to finally be free...It must have failed." He balled his hand into a fist.

Mois reached out for a moment in guilt. "I...I didn't know..." She hadn't wanted to make Kululu do anything that he didn't want to do. They had kissed a few times before but never that passionately.

She realized it was because Kululu couldn't stop. She had to be the one to pull away. She felt terrible.

Natsumi listened in closer. _Why would Kululu think Mois was a silver blood?_ That didn't make any sense. She didn't have animal ears.

"I'm sorry you thought I was a silver blood." Mois looked down, "But I never told you that. You must have just assumed it." She looked apologetic. "I never lied to you, Kululu, you have to believe me!"

Kululu didn't look like he wanted to hear anything more from her. He felt betrayed, and alone. _Why didn't things work? Why was she able to command me?_ Kululu started shaking. She wasn't a silver blood like him.

He had just been so lonely that he had pushed his thoughts onto her. She wasn't anything like him. He had been desperate and now she knew his secret.

Kululu didn't get frightened often, but he was shaking. Mois could do anything she wanted to him now, she knew his secret. "I'm...I'm a red blood too!" He lied. He wanted to take back the things he had told her, "If you want to kill me, get it over with! You'll see my blood runs just as red as yours!"  
Mois saw that Kululu was having a panic attack as he hyperventilated. She tried to reach out to stroke his hair or hold him, or even pat his back, but he swatted her away in fear. "Kululu...I'm not going to hurt you. Calm down. Please. I'm here for you..."

Kululu wouldn't calm down. He tried to keep his gasping for breath quiet so the rest of the party wouldn't come find him. "Keep away from me! I hate you!" Kululu pressed himself against the wall trying to keep her away.

Mois looked hurt but obeyed.

"You have power over me. I hate people trying to control me! I'm Kululu! I deserve to be treated like a person. Nobody can control a monster like me!" He just kept shouting out.

"Kululu..." Mois tried to sit crouch down to calm him down. She just tried to be patient. _I didn't think he thought I was a silver blood._

"Saburo's the only one who ever treats me with dignity. I proved myself to him as a person! We're equals not because of anything sappy but because I owe him and he owes me. Back when I was his slave I saved his life and in return he freed me, helping me make a name for myself in return. He's the only one on my side." Kululu was finally calming down and only getting angry and bitter.

"Kululu...Listen..." Mois really cared for him, she didn't want him to panic.

"You're just like everybody else. I thought you were hiding from society like I was. A liar. But you're just an awful red blood." Kululu accused.

"I'm not a red blood!" Mois told him. She pulled out a knife from her belt quickly and caring more for Kululu than her own comfort she quickly sliced open her palm.

Kululu watched as thick purple blood oozed out. Mois looked up at him desperately as if hoping this would make peace with his fears. She could still control him but she was also hiding from society, just like he was.

"See...? I'm just like you in a way. These red bloods will also kill me if they learn." Mois's voice was shaky as she tried to reassure him of who she was.

Kululu calmed down, and grabbed her hand gently as if to inspect her blood.  
"That's why I was stealing blood. I'm also hiding." Mois told him, "I want the same thing you do probably. To kill all the red bloods."

Kululu's gaze softened. He did want that. "How can that be though? Weren't the purple bloods all killed over a thousand years ago?" He was no longer mad at her as he held her hand and grabbed some tissues to clean the wound. _She trusted me enough to tell me. I bet she hasn't told anybody else._ He felt calmer. They were similar. Not the same, but similar.

"My family hide me. They knew we were dying off and being killed but they wanted one purple blood to survive. So they put me in a cave with various technology that would put me asleep for a thousand years. I would sleep safely and nobody discovered me in that time." Mois told Kululu. "Us purple bloods aren't as normal as red bloods. Our ages are functionally immortal." She told him, "That's also why someone was able to come into my cave and kiss me while I was asleep and not wake me up. I don't know when they came, it could have been any time in that thousand year gap."

Kululu nodded as he listened to her story.

"When I woke up everybody was wearing these weird masks so the only way I was able to sneak in was to put one on. I conned some noble into letting me stay with them saying I was her cousin from a far away country. Never got much used to the masks though." Mois giggled. "It's a weird society."

Kululu smiled, "I'm...I'm glad you were able to trust me enough to tell me. Have you told anyone else?"

Mois shook her head, "Only you."

"I...I still don't understand why you were able to order me around though. Only my soul mate should be able to give me any orders. And as I told you, she is dead. Didn't move for at least a week as I observed her. Ku, ku, ku." Kululu was confused, "Do purple bloods not follow the rules of soul mates?"

Mois shook her head. They did. She couldn't order someone if they had a soul mate. _Wait a minute...Kululu said he kissed a dead girl in some cave..._ She slowly started getting suspicious. What if she had been that girl? Both of their stories kind of meshed up and Kululu had never seen her face because of her mask. "Where's...Where's your soul mark tattoo?" Mois asked suddenly.

Kululu pointed to the corner of his right eye. "Right here. On my face. Ku, ku, ku. It's a pretty purple spiral. I like it."

Mois frowned, "That's what mine looks like too and where it is."

"Funny coincidence." Kululu shrugged.

"Kululu...Would it be all right if we took off our masks to look at each other? Neither of us was raised with them after all. I want to confirm or deny something." Mois frowned, "Please tell me if I look like the dead girl you kissed."

Kululu was confused. He was nervous about taking off his mask, but he finally nodded. He trusted that Mois wouldn't laugh at whatever was underneath. "Fine."

Slowly the two of them took off their masks to look at each others naked face for the first time. Kululu wasn't as nearly as ugly as he described, just a little shy and nervous looking. He had green-ish yellow eyes as he put his glasses back on.

Mois's eyes were bright yellow and her face was bright and happy to finally have her mask back off. And their soul marks were exactly the same.

Kululu looked at Mois, shocked. She looked exactly like the girl he had kissed. _No, wait...She is the girl I kissed!_ Suddenly things started making sense to him, why she was able to order him, why they got along so well.

Everything made sense. Mois had been his soul mate this entire time.

 _Should have probably checked Mois's pulse before I kissed her and thought she was dead._ Kululu thought to himself. He really botched that one up.

He grinned to himself. She was his. They were perfect for each other and could finally be happy together.

"...Well?" Mois waited for something.

"You're very pretty. I knew you'd be cute." Kululu complimented, sighing as he looked at her rather dreamily. She was all his, made for him. And he was hers.

"No, I meant, am I your soul mate? Was I the person you kissed?" Mois asked.

"Oh yeah!" Kululu grinned, "Isn't that absolutely fabulous? We've finally found each other after all this time..." For someone who had spoken about hating the soul mate stuff a few hours ago he quickly changed his mind once his soul mate was Mois.

He wasn't able to finish his overjoyed enthusiasm. Mois slapped him.

"Ow!" Kululu rubbed his face.

"So...You're the one who kissed me in my sleep. You ruined so much in my life, my perception of romance, you made me feel so used...So disgusted." Mois shivered. Even if her soul mate was Kululu and she had previously liked him if he was the person who had wronged her, well...

She wasn't just going to forgive. She always hated the soul mate stuff.

"But Mois, we're soul mates!" Kululu tried to tell her, "I just needed to kiss you to help myself-"

"I was a means to an end. Nothing more." Mois sighed. She didn't want to be used any longer. "And I don't believe in that soul mate junk." She was harsh.

Before Kululu could stop her, she turned around and left.

"Mois!" Kululu tried to chase after her.

Giroro's and Natsumi's eyes twitched in the closet in shock.

"Mois's Kululu's soul mate?" Natsumi asked shocked.

"Um...Natsumi, no offense but I think we should focus on the fact that Mois is a purple blood who can order anyone including red bloods around and that Kululu's been a silver blood this whole time." Giroro pointed out.

Natsumi was still in shock about the Kululu soul mate stuff.

* * *

Sometimes things happen in the wrong time and place. Tamama was the master of wrong time and place.

He was at Momoka's party eating most of the sweets. He was happy to not be dead even if Mois had saved him. Keroro, the most handsome silver blood in his eyes was also playing around in the party.

Tamama took a deep breath.

 _I can't hide it any longer. My feelings. I need to tell him._ Tamama decided. He just couldn't contain them.

As Mois passed by him running off and Kululu chased her, Giroro and Natsumi heading into the room to share their own secrets, Tamama approached Keroro.

"Do you remember the day you found me lying in a ditch dying?" Tamama asked.

"Course I do. I didn't want to see you so sad." Keroro frowned, "So I suggested to Master Fuyuki asking his fiance Mistress Momoka to adopt you as her silver blood. And now you live in luxury."

Tamama grinned. Nobody had helped him. He had been dying with so many other silver bloods, but Keroro had noticed his suffering.

"You saved my life. I always think about that." Tamama smiled.

"Momoka saved your life. I wasn't able to do much." Keroro corrected.

"But I fell in love with you after that. And no matter how much I try to conceal it, it just keeps bubbling out." Tamama grinned, "I love you, Keroro. I don't care how many other people know."  
Keroro looked around in fear. They were in a populated area with several cameras and newspaper presses. This was the worst place to confess that Tamama had feelings for Keroro. They'd surely be killed for having feelings.

"Tamama, I..." He got ready to reject him.

But before he could, Tamama pulled himself up to kiss Keroro tightly. He felt that if he just kissed him Keroro would know what he meant to him.

And almost instantly a small yellow star appeared on both Keroro and Tamama's foreheads, burning into each of them. It was a soul mark.

Keroro pulled away in shock. _Tamama's my soul mate?_ Keroro was just shocked. Instead of thinking of life or death things he instead thought, _Crap, I'm gay aren't I?_ He had been trying to deny it for a while.

"They must be sentenced to death." A newspaper man said, seeing the soul mark. "Silver bloods can not have soul mates."

Keroro and Tamama started shivering, realizing what they had done.

Giroro's eyes widened as he saw other silver bloods in trouble and his old friends. "No!" He wouldn't let Keroro die. Before anybody could stop him he ran in front of Keroro to protect him.

"Fuyuki...Momoka..." Keroro looked over to Fuyuki and Momoka.

They both looked down. Even they couldn't bend the rules for their favorite pets. They both winced.

"I'll fight you all if I have to. I won't let you kill them." Giroro hissed.

Kululu stopped chasing after Mois to turn to Giroro. He had an opposition group to use and a person to hassle.

 _If there are other silver bloods with soul marks, people might start having greater regulation to check if any silver bloods are pretending to be red bloods._ Kululu realized. "Ku, ku, ku. I can't let you save their pathetic lives."

Giroro leaped towards Kululu to claw at him. After all, he knew a secret about him that Kululu didn't know.

Almost at immediately the same time, they both injured each other, Kululu grabbing Giroro's glove on his hand pulling it off to reveal Giroro's soul mark.

Giroro however slashed at Kululu's chin and a trickle of silver blood trailed down.

Kululu reached up shocked as he felt the blood.

Authority figures circled Keroro, Tamama and Giroro.

"He can't be ordered." Someone realized, "Look at the soul mark." They pointed to Giroro.

Natsumi looked frightened and shocked, "Stop it! Get away from them!" She yelled to everyone. But even though she was a princess, they wouldn't follow her rules.

They grabbed Giroro, Keroro and Tamama's hands by the back.

"I might have a soul mark, but he's a silver blood!" Giroro accused, pointing over to Kululu.

Kululu was covering his wound. The authorities grabbed Kululu's arm and pulled down his shirt sleeve and slashed.

Silver blood poured out. Kululu's expression was of shock at being discovered. He didn't know how Giroro had known.

Kululu glanced at Saburo desperately for help.

"There's nothing I can do. I'm sorry." Saburo turned his back on him.

Mois was gone, she had left the party in her anger. And Natsumi was helpless to stop the silver bloods being rounded up.

"They shall all be punished for their crimes. The only punishment fitting is death." The red bloods ordered.

And Giroro, Kululu, Keroro and Tamama were dragged off to the underground torture chambers to await their punishment. They had just wanted to have emotion and be as free as the red bloods.

Fuyuki and Momoka wept.

But Natsumi knew she had to do something to save them.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed! Please review.**


	6. The Final Step of The Revolution

**The last chapter. This fanfic was short, only six chapters, which makes me happy. I like writing short things. It's easy to finally get them done.**

 **Now I can work on the millions of other fanfiction projects I've started**

* * *

Natsumi's hands were shaking as everyone else left the party except Fuyuki, Momoka, Saburo, Dororo and Koyuki who just looked at her sadly.

They could guess who Giroro's soul mate was.

"He's...H-he's going to die." Natsumi knew that Giroro had sworn to protect her multiple times, but she wasn't the one in need of protecting. He was the one in constant danger, not her.

Fuyuki's face also seemed to be very wet with tears. "It...It wasn't Keroro's fault! I don't think they should have taken him."  
"I don't care if Tamama does have a soul mate, this is wrong to make him die for it." Momoka held Fuyuki's hand tightly. She waited for someone to suggest Tamama being brought back. But there was just the hollow sounds of crying.

Mois walked into the room. "The party's over?" She asked confused, "Where is everybody?" By everybody she specifically meant Kululu.

"Giroro's soul mark was discovered, Mois." Natsumi grabbed her friend's shoulders, shaking, "He, and Keroro and Tamama have been sentenced to death because it turns out they're soul mates."

"Who?" Mois hadn't formally met Keroro and she had already forgotten who Tamama was.

"That and Kululu." Saburo pointed out, "He...He was discovered as a silver blood."

Horror covered Mois's mouth for a brief moment, but then bitterness quickly returned. So nothing he had done to her had achieved him anything. "Oh." Was all she said.

"My revolution can solve this." Natsumi said finally. "Silver blood deaths is just the sort of thing we want to prevent. I can go save them-" She waited for Fuyuki or Momoka to stop her. They just simply looked away and gave her a small nod.

She was in the clear to go save her friends.

"Let me help." Koyuki said suddenly, "I...I know I've been distancing myself from your revolution, but you don't know where prisoners are brought when they're sentenced to death." Her voice was shaking, no doubt she was thinking about what would happen if Dororo had been discovered too. She saw a parallel between her and Natsumi's conditions.

Dororo nodded, "I agree. It's time to finally join Natsumi's revolution and help. I do not want to see her hurt at the pain of losing a soul mate." He put his hand on Koyuki's shoulder and smiled at her.

Natsumi felt more at ease knowing that Dororo and Koyuki would help her. It calmed her. She glanced at Fuyuki, Momoka, Mois and even Saburo, waiting for them to volunteer to help.

Momoka and Fuyuki were just crying. They probably wouldn't be able to help.

"There's nothing I can do. I would get in major trouble if I did anything. I helped Kululu as much as I could. My debt's been repaid." Saburo shrugged. He felt a little sadness but he wasn't going to risk his own skin to save Kululu's.

Mois bit her lip, "I'll help." She volunteered, "I'll help save Giroro, Tamama and Keroro. But that's it."

"That's fine. I didn't plan on saving Kululu anyway." Natsumi shrugged. He was a jerk.

Mois looked concerned yet again. "If something happens and we accidentally save him though I'll have no complaints. I'm just...Very mad at him is all." She was still hurt by what he had done to her. She had had so many nightmares about it.

Natsumi nodded. She didn't have time to talk about the Kululu problem or even talk about Kululu.

* * *

Koyuki and Dororo proved to be reliable guides as they led Natsumi and Mois down into the depths of the city, the underground torture chambers and jails for all silver bloods where executions happened.

"How much time do you think we have?" Natsumi asked.

"Not much. Silver bloods with soul marks usually are executed quickly. Don't know about Kululu though since he's done something that I never thought was even possible." Dororo shrugged. How could anyone pretend to be a red blood?

"He probably doesn't have long either. Considering he has a soul mark too." Mois chimed in.

Koyuki glanced at her in confusion. "So...Another silver blood/ red blood pair, huh?"

Mois neither confirmed nor denied this.

The lighting got darker and darker as they walked down the stairs into the world underground chambers of the silver bloods. It was as if it was constantly set to night there.

Red blood guards with masks like Koyuki's were guarding every entrance of a tall black building that reached up into the ground of the city.

"That is where prisoners stay for execution." Koyuki explained. "What should we do to get past them?"

"You could pretend that you're the next guard and then knock them out." Natsumi suggested, "Then you can let us into the gates." She pointed to an iron gate.

Koyuki nodded. That seemed like the safest approach. She quickly ran up to the guards, ready to play pretend.

"I'm here to relieve you of your duty. It's my shift next." Koyuki told them.

The guards looked at her for a moment. "We were warned that the silver blood criminal's soul mate might come to try to save him."

"W-what? Giroro's soul mate?" Koyuki asked, "That isn't me!"

But she had given herself away by just saying Giroro's name and revealing she knew him. The guards grabbed her by her hair and pulled her arms behind her back.

"You don't deserve to have this." Quickly they pulled off Koyuki's mask from her, the biggest mark of shame to a red blood. She tried to cry out and stop them but soon her face was bare. Her emotions of fear were wide and ready for all to be seen. One pulled a sword up ready to sever Koyuki's head. Their orders were clear, kill all intruders.

Natsumi panicked not knowing what to do. But Dororo thought a little bit faster than she did.

"You shall not harm, Lady Koyuki!" He ran out of his hiding place his sword ready. Clashing his sword against both of the red blood's swords he glared at them with a passion.

"Ah a silver blood." They hissed, "STOP." They ordered.

Dororo's eyes seemed to twinkle with knowledge that he didn't have to follow their orders. And in a moment his sword had run both of them through.

His hands were coated with the thick red blood as he tossed the bodies aside. He had never killed a red blood before. It was forbidden, but he did not regret.

"Nobody harms Lady Koyuki. I have sworn an oath to protect her with all that I have." He didn't look like he liked the red bloods very much.

He looked down at his lover and outstretched his hand, "Are you all right?"

Koyuki looked frightened as she touched her bare face, as if waiting for the mask to just appear on her again. "It's...It's gone..."

Dororo pulled Koyuki close to him. "It's all right. Your face is lovely even without a mask. You no longer need it. If Natsumi can be bare faced, you can as well." He smiled at her.

Koyuki hugged him back.

Dororo looked at his hands which were covered in red blood. He tried to shake it off but it seemed to drench his skin.

 _Perhaps this is the punishment of killing a red blood. Never being able to wash off the stain of your sin._ Dororo tried to conceal his fright.

Natsumi covered her mouth as she saw the dead bodies and stepped over to them. She had never seen someone killed before.

"I...I don't want anyone to die for my revolution." She had tried so hard to prevent Giroro from killing people. But Dororo and Koyuki who had a job to do were a different matter. "No more killing, all right? My revolution will not be bloody."

Dororo and Koyuki both nodded. Mois looted the bodies for a key card.

"This should get us in the prison." Mois swiped it over the gate and soon they were ready to head inside.

* * *

As soon as they headed inside of the twisty halls they saw that there was a huge commotion going on.

 _Giroro!_ Natsumi's mind was hopeful as she looked over a railing to one of the lower levels. Perhaps 100 red blood guards were leading Keroro, Tamama, Giroro and Kululu on a chain.

"W-what's happening? We have to go save him!" Natsumi said in a hushed voice.  
"It's too late." Koyuki frowned, "Because they're all immune to orders they have top notch security for them. And me and Dororo can't take on twenty five people, if we split up the divination between us equally."

"They're taking them to be executed. The march to be brought to the gardens and killed has begun." Dororo frowned.

Natsumi looked horrified. How many people could she fight if she was trying not to kill? The good of one person wasn't better than a hundred after all.

 _Twenty-five max, but Dororo and Koyuki said they can't take on twenty five._ She didn't even know if there was 100 people down there. Roughly there were one hundred. "How many people can you take on max?" She asked Dororo and Koyuki.

"Ten." Dororo told her.

"Maybe eleven or nine." Koyuki didn't round down or up.

Below, Giroro tried to shake his shackles off. He tried as hard as he could, but he can not.

"Ku, ku, ku. I guess my only saving grace here is that I'll be able to watch the three of you die first." Kululu was a jerk even as he marched to execution.

Giroro glared. "Aren't you frightened? Trying to figure out a plan to stop this?"

"Why should I be? I've already been discovered. There's nothing I can do to make my life better. That was the one chance I had towards freedom and it's been ruined thanks to you." Kululu glared, "I knew my death was coming if I was ever discovered. So I'm already mentally prepared."

"Well I'm not! I didn't do anything wrong! I don't deserve to die!" Keroro cried.

"At least we're going together." Tamama sighed, "I get a few last moments to be lovey-dovey with you."

"Now is not the time! If we survive this remind me to teach you when the right time to confess your feelings or do anything remotely romantic is." Keroro glared.

"When is it?" Tamama asked hopefully.

"Never!" Keroro responded.

"Don't be like that. We're soul mates. So at least it has to be kind of mutual." Tamama was just happy and over joyed he was Keroro's soul mate.

"I'm not gay!" Keroro denied.

"Our soul mark says otherwise." Tamama teased.

Keroro blushed a lot. At least execution would get him out of this conversation.

Natsumi tried to desperately figure out a plan from above. How could she save her friends?

"I suppose it's my turn then." Mois smiled, "Because I can take on over hundred people." She volunteered.

Natsumi glanced at her curiously. _Wait...She's a purple blood, right?_ Natsumi remembered reading that the purple bloods could order anybody without a soul mark. They could broadcast their voice to thousands upon thousands.

They were tyrannical dictators. Even worse than the red bloods.

"W-what are you going to do? No...No killing please." Natsumi begged.

Mois didn't listen. "I've waited thousands of years to institute my plan and kill all red bloods. Don't worry Natsumi! I won't try to kill you. You're nice. And Koyuki if she proves herself can survive too." Mois decided.

She stepped onto the railing, balancing precariously. The silver bloods looked up in surprise.

"Listen up!" She shouted. All the red bloods eyes were instantly on her. Seeing all their faces, Natsumi realized that there were at least 120. "I have one order for you. And that is to die." Mois's eyes glowed for a moment.

The skin of the red blood's heated up to be a shade of red.

Natsumi watched in horror as they started screaming, loudly as their bodies started shutting down and betrayed them. Mois watched with a pale smirk as they all fell to the ground.

"I never liked your society anyway." Mois frowned, tossing her mask onto the pile of dead bodies.

Natsumi jumped down to where Giroro was and quickly broke his shackles, along with Keroro's and Tamama's.

"Hey? A little help for me?" Kululu asked, looking around. Keroro and Tamama were still looking around in confusion of how Mois had done that.

Reluctantly Dororo freed Kululu.

"W-what did you do?" Dororo asked.

"Things." Mois was unspecific. "We won't be having anymore problems!"

Natsumi was shaking. Giroro put a hand on her shoulder trying to steady her. "My revolution...Became bloody...I didn't want anyone to die."

"All revolutions become bloody eventually if they're going to do any good. Ku, ku, ku." Kululu explained. "If you wanted things to change you couldn't stay the good guy. At least Mois took the initiative."

Mois wasn't smiling at him, but Kululu smiled at her. She had just saved his life after all.

"Thank you for saving me, Natsumi." Giroro smiled, "I knew you'd come eventually. But even if I died for our love I would have been happy."

"No dying!" Natsumi ordered, "You aren't allowed to."

Giroro smiled. That was an order he could stand by.

"W-what do we do now? We're fugitives!" Keroro reminded.

"You can stay at my house. Let's try to smuggle you all back." Natsumi volunteered. She wouldn't be very true to her revolution if she didn't try to save every silver blood she could.

They all nodded, happy to follow Natsumi.

* * *

"Thanks for saving me." Keroro told Mois as they traveled.

Mois glanced at Keroro. She hadn't met him yet. "How did you end up with that crowd?"

"I became soul mates with Tamama over there." Keroro pointed, "Which wasn't very fair to me! I mean I didn't even know if I wanted to be soul mates with someone, it was just forced upon me and a surprise. I don't even know if I want to be gay. Actually I do know, I don't want to be. But I guess that thing called 'reality' had other plans for me. Curse you biology and reality!" Keroro shook his fist at the ceiling as they tried to be stealthy and sneak back to Natsumi's house.

Mois giggled a bit. "I relate to that. I didn't want to be soul mates with someone either. I still don't believe in it. I'm pretty sure I'll just choose who I love."

"You don't like your soul mate? You don't love him?" Keroro asked.

Mois nodded, "I suppose I did until I found out what he had done to me." She glared over at Kululu who just looked like he wanted to push Keroro aside and start talking to Mois himself. "But I won't let soul mates decide who I'm with."

Keroro grinned, getting comfy with Mois. "I'm sure we're going to get along perfectly!"

Mois giggled, "I'd be happy to get along with someone like you!"

Tamama glared daggers at Mois. "This isn't fair at all! That woman isn't his soul mate." It had never occurred to him that after becoming soul mates with Keroro, Keroro might not like it. "Keroro! Pay attention to me." He begged and grabbed onto Keroro's arm, "Look at how cute I am. And how much I adore you."

"I do like being adored." Keroro admitted. He didn't know which one to choose. On one hand there was a guy who was his soul mate and quite attractive on one arm who he got along with a lot, and on the other hand there was a girl who he barely knew but she had the whole 'female' thing going for her. What a hard decision! "Augh...What do I do?" Love triangles were hard.

Kululu made the decision for Keroro, quickly pulling Mois off of his arm and stealing her away.

"You...You still mad at me?" Kululu asked, "You know, I'm sorry...I had to do it, it was the only way I could live."

Mois glared, crossing her arms.

"I don't really want you to hate me. In fact the opposite. I would very much like it if you...you know, loved me." Kululu was fine with expressing desire to be with her now that they were soul mates, "I...I really love you, you know. I can't imagine being happier with any other person. I'm glad it's you who's my soul mate." Kululu wasn't much of a romantic but he knew Mois was. And he hoped romantic words would sooth her anger. After all she had expressed a desire to be his girlfriend before at the party.

Mois glared at him, "Isn't it funny how you only love me after you found out I was your soul mate? I think I remember several instances where you told me that we were just having fun and you didn't want a girlfriend." She glared, throwing his words back at him.

Kululu winced. Old Kululu was really not helping him out.

 _Crap. I think this is what people call 'the doghouse'._ He thought to himself

* * *

They finally got to Natsumi's house. Dororo and Koyuki bid them a good-bye and Koyuki quickly rushed Dororo home to try to wash the red blood off of his hands.

"So...You're a purple blood..." Natsumi finally talked to Mois about what she had figured out.

"Yep!" Mois grinned as she sat on Natsumi's couch.

Giroro looked concerned about this piece of information.

"If...If you're a purple blood..." Natsumi wasn't thinking very straight, "The last of your kind...Can you order the red bloods to treat the silver bloods as equals? Would that work?"

Mois nodded, "They would have to listen to my orders." Her eyes brightened, "I have some goals to complete, so I suppose I can help you out. We can bring silver bloods up higher." She knew Natsumi's house was large and that the roof could be very well seen from the whole city. "Do you have a megaphone?"

Natsumi nodded and handed her one. "It's time for the revolution's final message."

Kululu didn't say anything. He could tell that Mois wasn't actually going to do what Natsumi wanted. But he wasn't going to put Mois in danger.

Giroro looked worried too. What would Natsumi do if her friend betrayed her? _She's a purple blood. Purple bloods can't be trusted._ Giroro reminded himself. Purple bloods thirsted for death. They were tyrannical.

* * *

Natsumi, Mois and Giroro, because he was her protector, went onto the roof. Mois turned the megaphone on and smiled.

"All right, city. Listen up. I want all of the red bloods to do this." The lights and sounds of the city instantly stopped as Mois's voice went out. It was as if even those who couldn't hear her could hear her voice echoing in their head.

 _It's finally happening. We can still do good with our revolution._ Natsumi smiled.

"Kill yourselves. All red bloods will die." Mois ordered.

Natsumi's eyes widened with shock. _Oh no!_ She recalled Mois saying multiple times that her goal was to kill all red bloods. And now Natsumi had given her the go ahead and tools to orchestrate her evil plan. "What are you doing?" Natsumi asked suddenly.

"Silver bloods can never truly be free with red bloods around." Mois pointed out.

"My brother might be killed if someone decides to go violent with your order!" Natsumi screeched.

"So? He never helped the silver bloods cause. He's a problem too." Mois didn't see the issue.

"This isn't what Natsumi wants." Giroro glared, "She doesn't want all red bloods to die," He knew he did, but he knew Natsumi would be sad from this, "If all red bloods died we'd just find a weaker race to persecute. Like how the red bloods started using the silver bloods after the purple bloods disappeared." He cited history.

Mois shrugged. She didn't care. "I'm an evil purple blood." She sat down, "That's what your society has taught about purple bloods. And although I like you, Natsumi, you're fun, there's a bigger goal I'm trying to achieve. And it's nothing as kind as freeing silver bloods. I want revenge against the red bloods who destroyed my race. This is only about revenge. Life and death don't mean the same thing to me as they do to you." Mois's voice was cold.

And Natsumi for the first time saw how evil she really was. How Mois was exactly like the rumored purple bloods. How she deserved Kululu. Because Mois didn't care if millions upon millions died. Instead she'd giggle kindly about it.

Her friend had been a villain all along.

* * *

The destruction got larger and larger, people being creative with various ways to die. Explosions happened in the city and Keroro and Tamama who were left alone in Natsumi's house, were frightened.

"I don't want Momocchi to be caught up in this." Tamama admitted.

Keroro slowly brought his hand over to Tamama's and held it tightly. "I don't want Fuyuki to be hurt. I'm scared too."

Tamama nodded. "I'm sorry for what I did. I never meant to put your life in danger like this."

"I know. And it's fine. I'm happy to have you as my soul mate. It made me happy to know I meant so much to you." Keroro admitted. The world was dying, it was finally time to be open with his feelings. "I like you too."

Tamama wished he could be happy, but he was only frightened.

* * *

Kululu wasn't being patient and waiting in Natsumi's house, instead he was preparing.

 _Natsumi's a do-gooder brat._ Kululu reminded himself. Likely she'd stop Mois in the end. And he didn't want Mois getting hurt.

He'd never risk losing her again. Thinking she was dead once hadn't hurt him, but he hadn't known her then.

He approved of what Mois was doing. He also wanted all red bloods to die, but trying to do something like this while keeping Natsumi as a friend was a mistake. He related to Mois wanting friends but it wasn't something that she could have work out in her favor.

So he prepared for when this inevitably blew up in her face.

* * *

Koyuki and Dororo didn't even notice the destruction. Instead Koyuki was still desperately trying to wash the red blood off Dororo's hands. It had stained and he was crying.

They were both oblivious to the destruction on the outside world.

"Don't worry, tomorrow will be better." Koyuki reassured in a hushed voice.

Dororo could only hope as he was held by Koyuki. He tried to remind himself that the next day was always something to hope for.

* * *

Natsumi was shaking as she saw her friend just watch the destruction with a smile. Mois stood watching the city being destroyed.

 _Will it stop if the link between her mind control and the people ends?_ Natsumi realized. She didn't want to cause any more bloodshed, but perhaps hurting someone to end this was for the greater good.

She remembered all the times Mois had helped her, but she pushed those out of her mind. Her and Mois's relationship was over.

Mois didn't suspect anything as Natsumi pressed her hands against the girl's back and pushed her off the roof.

Natsumi felt dread as she saw Mois's face as she fell, thanks to the mask being off. She now knew there was truly something good about masks because she wouldn't have been able to see the betrayal on Mois's face if she had been wearing one.

Mois's expression was utter horror and hurt as if she had truly valued Natsumi. She screamed as she fell. But soon enough she was in the pit of blackness and Natsumi could not see her. She didn't hear her land. But she heard her screams die off.

Natsumi shook and dropped to the ground, screaming and crying.

"I'm...I'm sorry...But sometimes the lives of many out way the good of one." Giroro reminded her. He scooped Natsumi up into his arms.

"She...She betrayed me. Started killing everyone! And so I had to kill her..." Natsumi's voice was a high-pitch squeak. "She was my friend."

Giroro held her tightly. "It's over, Natsumi. That purple blood is gone. And I've seen how much life means to you. So even if I dislike the red bloods, I'll protect them. For you." He vowed.

Natsumi leaned into her soul mates hug. At least she could have faith that Giroro would never betray her.

"Hold me." She requested. It was an order too. But Giroro was happy to oblige.

"I love you. Only someone of such emotional strength could do that." Giroro told her, kissing her forehead.

"I...I love you too." It wasn't even the main problem, the revolution was still in place, the silver bloods were still hurting, but Natsumi felt at peace in Giroro's arms. Perhaps that meant something.

She just wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

* * *

Mois opened her eyes in bed. At first she was confused, thinking she was in the cave she had woken up in after one thousand years.

She reached up to the corner of her eye to feel her soul mark in horror. It was still there. But then she remembered that this was after the cave.

 _Natsumi pushed me to my death._ She tried to adjust to the lighting.

"You okay?" Kululu asked by her side.

Mois looked at him worriedly for a moment.

"Don't worry. I didn't kiss you in your sleep this time. Ku, ku, ku. Not doing that again." Kululu joked.

Mois felt relieved. "What happened?"

"You fell off the roof. I can assume someone pushed you, but I wasn't there." Kululu shrugged. "I found you sprawled on the ground, bleeding, and I was...Worried so I decided to try to fix you up. Took you back to Saburo's house and you've been resting here for the last month. I suppose considering you slept one thousand years a month's sleep isn't that bad, but I'm glad you're finally awake."

Mois reached up trying to sit up. Kululu helped her a bit. Her smile softened as she looked at him.

 _He was here the entire time?_ She thought to herself. Something about that made her happy that he was looking after her. Maybe that was one of the things she had been waiting for in the cave. She didn't understand why her soul mate had left her after kissing her or if he had died from old age. Sometimes she liked to think that he had stayed by her side until the day he died, unaware of when he had kissed her.

"I was devastated when you only managed to kill half of the red bloods." Kululu sighed, "I agreed with your kill all red bloods thing after all. Although I do hope that Saburo isn't on your list. He helped me have sanction here and hide me for the last month. Ku, ku, ku."

"Well..." Mois didn't exactly like Saburo.

"I...I was really worried about you. I realized after you plummeted that I couldn't imagine a world without you." Kululu handed her something, "But now that you're awake, I can help you as much as I can with your plans."

She looked at the things he had handed her. Passports.

"We can flee to another country, try the same thing we did before, hiding as red bloods. Ku, ku, ku. We'll make a plan, gather resources and we can figure out a way to kill all red bloods." Kululu offered.

Mois secretly wondered if this was just his way of proposing to run away together. She wondered how quickly they'd get distracted from murder.

"Don't look at me like that. This isn't a proposal sort of deal. You don't have to love me, just be my ally. That's all I want and all I'm asking. Ku, ku, ku." Kululu told her.

It was just like he had asked her throughout most of their relationship. Be his ally, not his girlfriend. But Mois wasn't too happy with that.

 _If he stayed with me for a month, we're soul mates and he admitted that he loves me and doesn't know what to do without me, why can't I be his girlfriend?_ Mois's anger was slowly dying down at Kululu. She just wanted him to pay attention to her now. She was going to probably be stuck with him for the rest of her life. She could forgive him for that one kiss.

He did have his reasons after all.

"I do love you, though." Mois argued.

Kululu grinned to himself. "That will make fleeing together all the easier then." He casually answered. She could tell he was really happy and that his worry had died down though. He didn't touch her without her permission, just being polite, trying to right his wrongs.

She kissed him on the forehead.

"Bye I suppose. Thanks for raiding my fridge way too much." Saburo waved, happy that his friend was trying to be free yet again. Secretly he hoped they would settle down and live happily instead of killing all red bloods. Mois frightened him since he had learned she was a purple blood.

He gave Kululu a small nod.

Kululu nodded back. That was probably what they were going to do after all.

The two of them left. Never to see Natsumi or deal with her problems again.

* * *

Natsumi was still sad about Mois, but society had talked a lot about what a threat Mois had been. Everybody assumed she was dead.

But some good had come out of Mois's death. People were finally talking about the unequalness of power. Red bloods didn't like being controlled after all, and after being treated how they had treated the silver bloods, they were finally stopping how they treated them.

Silver bloods were allowed to have soul mates. Some of them even got rid of their collars by choice.

"They're changing their ways out of fear." Giroro finally realized, "They remember the lesson of the purple bloods after the scare from Mois. They know if they continue their ways they'll be killed just like the purple bloods."

Natsumi nodded. She wished that they could actually acknowledge what they did had been wrong. "Small steps. We have a lifetime to talk about justice and convince generations upon generations about equality."

"Will...Will we start another generation?" Giroro asked hopefully.

Natsumi grinned rather teasingly at him. He was such a lovesick puppy. But she didn't know if silver bloods and red bloods could breed. "Gather and burn 1000 masks, by the red blood's choice today and we'll see."

Giroro nodded enthusiastically. He didn't know how to feel about Natsumi rewarding him with things like sex, but he knew she liked it too.

"Natsumi...I'm just happy I met you." He squeezed her hand, "And I'm glad we can live happily and in peace."

Peace wasn't very interesting to both of them, but Natsumi was happy for the peace too. "I'm glad I met you too."

She was so happy to be with her soul mate Giroro. They kissed again like it was the first time they had seen each other in a long time.

They were together. That was all that mattered. And they were happy.

The masks were off, and the people were finally free.

* * *

 **I should probably work on the personality swap...Or another AU...Or fluff.**


End file.
